The door eases shut behind them, and the lobby settles into firelit hush. Snow glitters on the floorboards near the entrance, but the hearth throws a warm glow over the worn armchairs waiting by the stone chimney.
Evan slows at the edge of the rug and gestures to the seats, then checks Diana's face like he is bracing for her answer. His shoulders are still tense, but the sharpest edge of it has gone.
Evan
We can sit, if you want. I know this is strange. I just, I need you to hear me out.
Diana Noh
The fire makes the room feel smaller, quieter.
Diana moves with him toward the chairs. The crackle of burning logs fills the pause as the storm stays outside, muffled and distant.
Evan
I did not come all this way to start a fight. I came because I kept wondering what happened, and because seeing you here feels impossible.
He stops beside the nearer armchair, one hand resting on its back, waiting. The moment stretches into something almost gentle, like both of them are standing at the edge of a conversation neither one can quite begin.
✓ Quest Accepted
Understand Evan's past connection to me
“I ask Evan to tell me about the summer we spent together.”
FAILURE (Mediocre Conversation, rolled -1)
The lodge goes quiet around Diana's question. Evan's shoulders loosen, then tighten again as if the answer weighs more than he expects.
Evan
I want to, but... I need to get it right. That summer mattered to me, Diana.
He looks toward the hearth, not at her, fingers worrying at the edge of his sleeve. The old certainty in his face breaks into something more vulnerable.
Evan
I came here because this lodge was yours, for that summer. Your family rented it. You were the first person who made this place feel warm.
Evan
He remembers the afternoons by the lake, the way she laughed when she thought no one was listening.
The fire pops softly. Evan finally meets her eyes, relieved to have said part of it, but not all.
Evan
If I tell you the rest, will you let me start from the beginning?
Quest Complete
Discover why Evan is at the ski lodge
Attribute Upgrade: Agility Great→Superb