12
No one could have expected it.
Curled up on the landing of a stark, concrete stairwell, bathed in the pale, sterile light, was Reik Thorne.
He was dressed in a pure black shirt and trousers, his shoulders broad and his back straight, but he looked unusually fragile.
The moment I pushed open the heavy fire door, he snapped his head around, instantly alert. His brow was beaded with sweat from the intense pain, but his eyes, when they met mine, were cold and wary.
-I had stumbled upon something I wasn’t supposed to see.
froze in place. Under his intense gaze, I had no choice but to force the words out. “…Do you need me to call a doctor?”
Reik just stared at me, his expression icy, without saying a word.
I had to raise a hand and press my white face mask tighter against my skin. Because of the scars on my face, I always wore a mask in public to avoid frightening customers or children. The pressure of his gaze was immense.
I wanted to back away, to leave. But seeing the vein throbbing at his temple from the pain, seeing his deathly pale lips, I felt an inexplicable pang of sympathy.
So I took a step forward and pulled a small bottle of painkillers from my pocket. I’d never seen a proper doctor for my injuries. When the pain became unbearable, I just chewed on painkille rs to get through it.
I never thought the pills I always carried would come in handy like this.
