Back at the hotel room, Milo's sobs echoed through the cozy but quiet space.
He sat on the floor near the bed, curled into himself, clutching his knees as tears soaked his cheeks. His small shoulders trembled with every ragged breath.
Outside, Mercury stood in the narrow corridor, her fists trembling as she knocked repeatedly on the door.
The hallway was dimly lit, the soft hum of the fluorescent lights above doing little to ease her growing desperation.
Her voice was strained and trembling as she called out to him.
"Milo, please," she begged. "Let me in. Let me talk to you."
"No!" Milo cried back, his voice cracking with the force of his distress. "Just leave me alone! I don't want to see anyone!"
Mercury pressed her forehead against the door, her knuckles white from how tightly she gripped the frame. The corridor felt suffocating, the weight of her own emotions pressing down on her like a storm she couldn't escape.
