The night air in Vienna had grown even sharper, a biting chill that seemed to seep through the glass of the balcony doors. Inside the suite, the silence was an oppressive weight, broken only by the rhythmic, artificial breathing of a man pretending to be asleep. Elea sat on the edge of the bed for a long time, her fingers curled tightly around the small folding knife hidden beneath her pillow. She waited until she was certain Kai’s heart rate had reached the steady, sluggish pace of deep rest.
Slowly, with the practiced grace of a shadow, she stood up. Every muscle in her body was coiled, ready to freeze if he so much as groaned in his sleep. She didn't look back as she moved toward the balcony. She stepped out into the darkness, the cold wind whipping her hair across her face, and close
