When it was around midnight, Alyssane slowly sat up on the bed.
Her body felt heavy with fatigue as she crossed the room and draped the cloak over her shoulders. She looked back at the room one last time to ensure she did not forget anything important.
Just then, she heard the faintest sound coming from behind the curtains.
Alyssane stilled, her gaze quickly snapping in that direction.
The windows were open just as she had left them, thick autumn curtains gently swaying nearby, and beneath them, she saw a pair of boots so perfectly concealed by the shadows that she almost missed them.
Her heartbeats picked up.
For a split second, the room was utterly silent, the world narrowing down to the faint rustling of the curtains and the boots she could just make out beneath them. Her fingers clenched the edge of her cloak, her mind racing.
Had that person been there the whole time, watching her? Or had they slipped in just moments ago?
