Late into the night, a light rain pattered against the windows, flashes of lightning streaking across the sky and painting it in shifting hues of blue and gray. A low rumble of thunder echoed in the distance—not close enough for the storm to be directly overhead, but steadily rolling nearer as the hours passed.

Lilliana had been asleep just moments before, curled on her side with her hair still gathered in a loose bun. Strands of ash-brown hair had slipped free, now framing her face. Her lips were slightly parted, faint snores escaping as she remained locked in a deep sleep after a long, stressful day. It wasn’t until a sharp crack of lightning split the sky that she stirred.

Her body felt heavy, her movements sluggish as she sat up and stepped out of bed. Her feet sank into the plush rug beneath her, and she shuffled across the room, bumping into furniture and occasionally grazing the walls. Her hands traced along the wainscoting, nails gently scraping the wallpaper as she searched for the door.

Her fingers found the doorknob, twisting it as she leaned her weight against the door. She stumbled forward, her foot catching the hem of her nightgown—unaware of the figure standing just outside, who had come to investigate the noise. The two collided, hitting the wall behind them. The impact seemed to jolt Lilliana fully awake; she grunted softly and blinked her hazel eyes.

"Wha—... Are you alright? Oh, dear, I'm so sorry... Are you injured? No bruises, I hope?"

She stepped back, gently cupping the other's cheeks in her hands as she looked them over for any sign of injury. A rare flicker of worry crossed her face. She hadn't realized how hard they had hit the wall, and she could only hope it hadn't been too painful. The last thing she wanted was to cause harm.

"What are you doing awake? Your shift ended hours ago."