The question reverberated through the room, for a second killing even the sounds of breathing. Xia and Eve looked into each other's eyes without blinking, neither willing to back off. In that battle of wills and beliefs, Celina could only watch from the side and be ready to console the loser.
It was Xia who looked away first. "I can't afford to, Sister," she said bitterly. "If you say that you don't need help, then I'm done here. Lin-Lin, let's go."
Celina nodded and threw an apologetic look at Eve, before following Xia outside of the room. Only when she was left alone again, did Eve let out a breath she held in. Her hands clenched on her blankets hard enough that her knuckles turned white. There was an unpleasant feeling in her chest, as if an icy hand was holding onto her beating heart.
'Why do you need to be so stubborn, Xia?' Eve asked herself and closed her eyes. 'Why my friends need to be so… unreasonable?'
