Chapter 40

Ophelia glanced in my direction, her gaze fixed on my silhouette, but she remained silent for a long time. I had no way of knowing what she was thinking or feeling during that moment. In the darkness, she stood quietly, hands tucked into her pockets, staring at my hunched figure. No one could tell what was going through her mind or whether her hands were warm or cold inside those pockets. The cemetery was eerily quiet, the rain falling in a steady rhythm. Time seemed to stretch endlessly, each second dragging longer than the last. Everything felt simultaneously still and chaotic, a mix of silence and noise that made her uneasy. But she refused to let her emotions surface. She held her composure even as the chill seeped in, forcing her to pull her coat tighter. If I wanted to atone, I needed to endure the consequences of my betrayal fully. It wasn't until I winced from the pain, struggling to get back up, that she exhaled lightly. She saw me pressing a blood-soaked handk