The room stays dim beneath the shuttered window. Beyond the glass, the caravanserai’s warded gate gives off a faint blue glow, steady as a distant star.
Sable listens without interruption as Akari tells the truth of Oakhaven: the root cellar, Emi’s cries, his mother’s last stand, and the ash left behind.
Sable Marris
They carried this alone for so long.
When the story ends, silence settles between them. Sable reaches across the narrow space, then pauses, leaving Akari time to pull away.
Sable leans closer and kisses Akari gently. The moment is brief, careful, and offered rather than taken.
Sable Marris
You do not have to carry it alone anymore. What do you need from me, when we reach the tollhouse?
✓ Quest Accepted
Secure Sable’s personal commitment to protect Akari and the evidence