Kim stepped into his apartment and leaned against the door as it clicked shut behind him. The silence was a relief. No condolences, no murmured apologies, no lingering eyes studying his every reaction at the burial. Just silence. But it didn't soothe him. If anything, the emptiness felt heavier.

He dropped his coat on the couch and sat down, resting his head in his hands. Esmeralda’s burial had drained something in him. Riele’s tear-streaked face haunted his thoughts. There were still ...