Aid arrives on time.
That’s how you know it isn’t mercy.
⸻
By midday, the effects of the Ledger Courts’ “temporary corridor” are already visible.
Not inside Blood Moon.
Outside it.
Jason stands at the western overlook with Zane, watching a familiar supply road pulse faintly as convoy wards activate and deactivate with mechanical precision.
“They didn’t close routes,” Jason says quietly. “They narrowed them.”
Zane nods. “So no one can accuse them of blockade.”
“Just… prioritization.”
Zane exhales through his nose. “Hunger with a smile.”
The heir shifts on his shoulder, restless, reacting not to the system but to Zane’s tension. Zane rubs their back automatically, grounding both of them.
“It’s okay,” he murmurs. “We’re just watching.”
The bond hums, steady, trusting.
⸻
The fir
