Ch 251: In the middle of the night - Part 1

Layla, Raziel, and Mary Ann climbed the narrow staircase leading to their room, the wooden steps creaking under their boots. The tension from the common room below seemed to follow them, pressing against their backs like a heavy shroud. Each of them carried the weight of unspoken questions about the unsettling events they had witnessed.

The hallway was dimly lit, the only source of illumination a flickering oil lamp mounted on the wall. Shadows danced along the cracked plaster, giving the inn an eerie, almost haunted feel. Raziel instinctively kept his hand near the hilt of his sword as they approached their door.

"Charming place," Mary Ann muttered under her breath, her eyes darting to the darkened corners of the corridor.

Layla chuckled softly, though there was little humor in it. "It's better than sleeping under the stars with no cover. Let's be grateful for small mercies."