"Are you heading out?" she asked.
He paused mid-step, one hand already on the door handle. He turned slightly, not fully facing her.
"Yes," he replied.
She saw the way he was dressed and figured out where he was going to. She hesitated, then added, "To the training area?"
He looked at her this time. Just briefly.
"Yes."
"Okay," she said.
The word came out softer than she intended, like she had more to say but didn’t know how to frame it. He nodded once, a small acknowledgement, then turned back toward the door.
He was just about to step out when a staff member hurried in from the hallway.
"Mr. Ryan," the man said politely. "Mr. Cole asked to see you. He said he is done with what he was attending to."
Ryan stopped again. He exhaled through his nose, then nodded.
"Alright," he sai
