Lyra swallowed hard, her heart pounding in her chest.
"I am sorry," she repeated, her voice tight with anxiety. Without another word, she turned and hurried away, her footsteps echoing in the long corridor. She moved as quickly as she could without spilling the contents of the tray, her pulse racing with the urge to flee.
The man watched her retreating figure, a frown creasing his brow.
"Wait..." he called after her, but she was already disappearing around the corner, her form swallowed by the shadows before he could even introduce himself.
He stood there for a moment, staring at the empty hallway, his curiosity piqued.Lyra reached the small, sparsely furnished room where she was to deliver the food.
She set the tray down on the table with trembling hands, taking a deep breath to steady herself.
