The three of them ran back to Eileen’s house. When they pushed open the door, the room was still the same. The lamp was still on, but it felt a bit dimmer.
Ilya was still standing by the bed, motionless. She heard the noise, turned her head to look, and after seeing the three who had entered, turned back again.
Kaan and Cole passed Flora, ran to the bedside, then stopped and looked down at Eileen.
Eileen lay there, covered with a blanket, her face pale.
There was a cloth wrapped around her forehead, and the cloth was the same as before—the red part hadn’t changed, indicating that the bleeding had indeed stopped. Her chest rose and fell gently, but it looked very weak.
Kaan stood there, looking at that face, unable to speak. His hands hung at his sides, clenched into fists. His entire hands were clenched tightly, knuckles white, still trembling slightly.
He opened his mouth, wanted to say something, but it felt like something was stuck in his throat, and no sound came out.
Cole stood beside him, also looking at Eileen. His eyes were red, his lips pressed tightly together, forming a thin line. He took a deep breath, then another, as if holding something back.
***
After a long while, Kaan finally spoke. His voice was hoarse, as if squeezed out from his throat.
“Miss Flora… what, what exactly is going on?”
Flora stood behind them, looking at Eileen. She didn’t know how to say it either.
“I couldn’t sleep, so I went for a walk,” she began, her voice very soft. “When I got to the south side, I heard a scream. I ran over and saw Eileen lying on the ground, covered in blood.”
“Who did it? She pointed a direction, and I chased after them.”
Flora paused.
“Did you catch them?” Cole asked.
Kaan turned his head and looked at her.
“She was still conscious at the time,” Flora continued. “I asked her who did it, and she pointed a direction.”
Kaan and Cole looked at her, waiting for her to continue.
But Flora didn’t say anything more, just fell silent.
Kaan was stunned for a moment, then seemed to understand something. He turned back and continued looking at Eileen.
The room was quiet for a few seconds.
Cole spoke, his voice a little hoarse as well. “Then… how many wounds does she have?”
Flora looked at Ilya.
Ilya raised her eyes, glanced at them, then continued looking at Eileen.
“Three,” she said. “One wound on her head, and two on her body. The bleeding has stopped. Her condition is stable for now.”
Kaan listened, his clenched fists tightening a little more.
“Will… will she be okay?” Kaan asked after a moment of silence.
“If the fever goes down, she’ll be fine,” Ilya said. “Until the fever goes down, I can’t say for sure.”
Kaan nodded, then didn’t ask anything else.
He stood there, just looking at Eileen, his eyes slowly turning red. By the end, it was very obvious; you could see it under the light. He didn’t cry, but he bit his lip tightly, biting it until it turned white.
Cole didn’t cry either. But he raised a hand and wiped his eyes with his sleeve, then put it down. Then he raised his other hand and wiped the other side again.
No one spoke.
They just stood there blankly.
One clenched his fists, the other kept wiping his eyes. Neither of them did anything.
Flora stood behind them, looking at those two backs.
After a long time, Kaan turned around and looked at Flora. His eyes were red, but he hadn’t cried. He looked at Flora for several seconds, then spoke.
“Miss Flora.”
“Yes?”
“Thank you.”
Just three words.
Flora was stunned.
Kaan said again, “Thank you for saving Eileen.”
Cole also turned around and looked at her. His eyes were red too. He blinked hard, then blinked again.
“Thank you, Miss Flora,” he said, his voice still trembling a little. “If not for you and Lady… Eileen might have…”
He couldn’t finish.
Flora stood there, looking at them.
She didn’t know what to say.
She wanted to say there was no need to thank her, wanted to say it was what she should have done. Wanted to say so much.
But she couldn’t say it.
Those images from earlier were still spinning in her mind.
The collapse of seeing Eileen lying on the ground. The hesitation about whether to chase or not. And the people she had killed with her own hands, their eyes staring at her.
And what those people said before they died: “suppression,” “bloodline,” “demon race.”
The way Eileen lay on the ground.
If she had discovered it a little later…
If she hadn’t gone for a walk…
She just couldn’t say “you’re welcome.” She didn’t know why, but she couldn’t say it.
After another minute, Flora finally spoke.
“She… will be fine.”
Just four words.
Her voice was very soft, but steady.
Kaan nodded and said nothing more.
After a moment, Flora walked over to Ilya and gently tugged at her sleeve.
Ilya turned to look at her.
Flora tilted her head toward the door, signaling for her to follow.
Ilya glanced at her, then followed her out.
The door closed, and the two stood under the eaves.
The rain was still falling, a little lighter than before, turning into fine threads drifting in the air. Water dripped from the eaves, drop by drop, landing on the stone slabs at their feet.
Flora stood there, looking out at the rain.
Ilya stood beside her, not saying anything.
“Mother,” Flora began.
“Mm.” Ilya looked at her calmly.
“When I chased after them earlier…” she paused. “I killed those people.”
Ilya didn’t speak, just listened patiently.
“A lot of people,” Flora continued. “Over a dozen. I killed them all.”
As she said this, she looked down at her hands.
Her hands were already clean.
When had she washed them? She didn’t know.
Maybe they had been rinsed clean by the rain while she was running.
Now there was nothing on them—clean, pale.
But the smell of blood still lingered. A harsh, metallic scent, as if it had soaked into her skin.
“The bodies are still lying there,” Flora said. “I was in a hurry, so I didn’t deal with them; I just came straight back. If someone passes by tomorrow…”
Before she could finish, Ilya spoke.
“I’ll take care of it.”
Flora was stunned for a moment, then looked up at her.
Ilya’s expression was the same as always—calm, indifferent, unreadable. She stood there, letting the rain drift onto her hair and face, not bothering to avoid it.
“You stay here and watch over Eileen,” Ilya said. “I’ll go dispose of those filthy things.”
Flora looked at Ilya, opened her mouth as if to say something.
But Ilya had already turned and walked out the door, into the rain.
After a few steps, she glanced back.
“Don’t come out,” she said.
Then she continued forward, quickly disappearing into the rainy night.