Chapter 313 Unexpected coincidence.
When the prayers ended, the air seemed to shift. The crowd began to stir, and slowly, people started to leave. Some whispered among themselves, others exchanged brief nods or comforting touches before departing.
A few eagle and owl males glanced at Kyra curiously. They murmured to one another, their eyes lingering on her briefly before moving on, but no one approached her or asked any questions.
As the crowd thinned, Kyra caught sight of Jessie, Joy’s mother, walking toward her.
Kyra stood still, her heart heavy with both sorrow and guilt. She watched as Joy’s mother, Jessie, approached her with a calm but tired expression. Kyra felt a pang of discomfort, unsure of what to say. Jessie’s mates hovered protectively behind her, their expressions unreadable.
"Hi, female. You must be Kyra, right?" Jessie said in a gentle voice, her honey-colored eyes meeting Kyra’s. "My name is Jessie."
Kyra’s throat tightened. She wanted to apologize, to say something that could somehow make up for the terrible loss Jessie had suffered. "I’m so sorry for what happened," she muttered, guilt weighing down her words. She couldn’t bring herself to look Jessie in the eye and stared at the ground instead.
Jessie reached out and gently lifted Kyra’s chin, forcing her to meet her gaze. She smiled warmly, though there was an unmistakable sadness in her eyes. "No, dear," she said, her voice soft but firm. "You don’t need to apologize. Actually, I’m proud of him for what he did. He saved a life, and that’s something I’ll always hold onto."
Kyra blinked in surprise, not expecting such a response.
Jessie continued, a bittersweet laugh escaping her lips. "You see, I lost Joy three years ago. He disappeared, and we hadn’t heard from him since. I had hoped, for so long, that he was out there somewhere, alive. But now... at least I know what happened. And I know that he did something brave and noble in the end."