Stand By His Side

"Are you alright?" Grace asked as she entered the room, only to be met with absolute darkness.

She reached out for the wall, locating the switchboard before switching on the light. She then turned it down enough to allow just a little warm glow to fill the room.

Only then did she turn to face the room and her eyes flickered toward the coffee table that was cluttered with empty beer cans. Some had toppled over, their contents long drained, leaving behind the faint scent of alcohol lingering in the dimly lit room.

Rune was sitting on the couch, his posture slouched, one hand gripping the half-full can while his gaze remained fixed on the floor. The darkness that had consumed the space mirrored the storm inside him.

It had been nearly half a day since they returned from the nearby town where they found the high-rank group, and ever since then, Rune had locked himself inside the bedroom.