"Alive," he said at last.
There was a brief pause.
Then, more coldly, more deliberately.....
"For now."
The connection ended.
Kade lowered the device but did not move immediately. For a moment, he remained seated at the edge of the bed, the stillness of the room pressing against the reality waiting beyond it. The role that had been held at a distance for the past few hours began to settle back into place, not as something newly assumed but as something that had never truly been set aside.
He stood.
The shift was subtle, but it carried a finality that changed the nature of the space around him. What remained behind was the quiet stillness that had allowed her to rest; what moved forward was purpose, sharpened and controlled.
Before leaving, he turned back once more.
