บท 653: Just Another Reason

In the well-lit Culthold of the Coven of the Damned, an unsettling silence was shattered by the sharp sound of ceramic shattering against the cold stone floor. 

The fragments of a once-proud cup lay scattered, surrounded by the splattered tea.

"Aunty Grace!" Yui's alarmed cry pierced the tension as she rushed forward, her steps quick and urgent.

Her face was a mask of worry as she hurried to Grace, who was weakly stumbling backward, her face a portrait of shock and anguish.

Emiko, her movements fluid and deliberate, was the first to reach Grace. She gently placed a steadying hand on Grace's shoulder, her normally stoic eyes filled with a rare, deep concern. 

"Aunty Grace," she said softly, "Let me help you sit down…" She guided Grace carefully around the shards of the shattered cup and the dark spill of tea that pooled on the floor, leading her to a nearby chair with a practiced motion.