Kai has always known that this room, this reprieve, was temporary. She kept a sack in the corner with only essentials for the inevitable moment they will have to leave. Her mother had taught her well.

“Be ready to remove any traces of your existence,” she had said, “you should be able to clear the area in seconds.”

The less than comfortable mat on the floor that she slept on every night was rolled up and shoved to the side. Even her mother thought that was going a little bit overboard but Kai took all of her teachings to heart. The room was otherwise barren. The stone floor was covered with a layer of dust and the walls were cracked in several places. All she had to do was toss the sack over her shoulder and run, and she would leave behind a room that looks like it hadn’t been occupied for a while.