As Raiden and Norella disappeared from view, Astrella calmly finished selling the last of her items. She paused for a moment, her gaze steady as the crowd began to disperse and then, with two boxes of steaming buns in hand, she made her way toward the residential compound for faculty families.
It was a place she’d visited often, a second home of sorts, where the retired professors lived quietly, relying on each other for support. Many had no families to care for them and the simplest tasks became increasingly difficult with age. Astrella had seen their struggles and stepped in without a second thought, bringing meals, doing laundry and helping with the day-to-day chores. One of them had even been the mentor of her late coach, a connection that had always stayed with her.
With her departure looming, she felt a deep urge to see if there was anything more she could do for them one last time.
To her surprise, as soon as Astrella stepped into the building, her eyes were drawn to the funeral wreaths that lined the entrance. A chill ran through her as she knocked on the door, waiting through a long silence before it finally creaked open.