Phantom

Feng Jiao Xue didn't say anything as she helped Mo Tianze up the stairs of the old inn.

The hallway smelled of dust and old wood, and the lights flickered like they hadn't been fixed in years. She held the key tight in her hand, the weight of it heavier than it should be. Mo Tianze leaned against her a little more than usual. He didn't say anything either, but his ears were low, and his tail dragged tiredly along the floor.

He was always so careful not to show weakness. But even the strongest have their limits.

The floor creaked under their steps. Each sound echoed in the silence between them. A silence that wasn't cold but full of unspoken things.

She found the room at the end of the hallway. The door creaked when she opened it, and the hinges groaned like they hadn't been oiled in a decade. It was small, barely big enough for two people, but it had a bed. That was enough.