The night air was thick with silence. A heavy, almost suffocating stillness hung over the maids' quarters as Mohandria, Lisa, and Kaitlyn sat together outside, their faces clouded with worry.
The usual warmth of their conversations was missing. Instead, a quiet sadness settled between them.
Kaitlyn's fingers trembled as she clutched the hem of her dress. Her eyes were red-rimmed, but she stubbornly refused to let her tears fall.
"Is this how things will pan out?" Kaitlyn finally broke the silence, her voice barely above a whisper. "That we won't see Kimberly again?"
Lisa let out a shaky breath but said nothing.
Mohandria sighed deeply, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.
The air around them was thick with unspoken fears, with uncertainty, with the gnawing ache of not knowing.
For a long moment, none of them spoke. They simply sat there, waiting, though they didn't even know what they were waiting for.
Then, Mohandria broke the silence.
