The silence had fallen thick in the room after the chaos of Dera's outburst. Her screams had subsided, but the aftermath still clung to the air like a thunderstorm that refused to leave.
Her hands were clamped over her ears, her slender fingers trembling as they clutched the sides of her head. Her whole body was slightly shivering, shoulders taut with leftover tension, lips parted as though she wanted to scream again but had run out of voice. Her eyes were vacant, lost somewhere far away, like she was stuck reliving a memory she couldn't crawl out from.
Williams stood a few feet away, his brows drawn together in concern, watching her. He looked like a man ready to leap into battle but trapped behind invisible bars. The moment the tremors in her shoulders eased the slightest bit, he took a cautious step forward. His voice, when he finally spoke, was soft but firm, like a warm breeze carrying steel.
