The archives door clicked shut behind me, sealing us into a cocoon of flickering light and thick, silent air. Niko didn’t move closer, didn’t press me. He just leaned against a cabinet, arms crossed, watching with the careful distance of someone who knew exactly what it meant to be feared for knowing too much.
"You said you want to help," I said. My voice was steadier than I felt. "What does that mean, exactly?"
Niko shrugged, but it wasn’t casual. It was deliberate. Measured. "I can keep eyes off you. Warn you if someone’s looking too close. Cover for you if something slips."
I studied him. "Why would you risk that?"
His mouth twitched into something not quite a smile. "Because I remember what it felt like to watch someone I care about get destroyed from the inside out. If I can stop
