The sun filtered softly through the half-closed curtains, casting muted light across the quiet living room. The house was still, save for the occasional sound of footsteps or the clinking of tea cups. The burial was over, but the silence it left behind felt heavier than before.

Riele sat on the couch beside Harry, their bodies leaning slightly toward each other, connected by grief and the exhaustion that always came after loss. A few relatives and friends still moved about quietly, offering ...