The fourth morning arrived without urgency.
That alone felt like a miracle.
Lila woke to soft light filtering through the healer’s chamber windows and the faint, rhythmic sound of breathing that had become the center of her world. Alden slept in the cradle beside her bed, his tiny chest rising and falling with more confidence than the day before.
Not strong yet.
But learning.
Lila didn’t move right away. She lay there, counting breaths, letting each one anchor her a little more firmly to the present. Her body ached in deep, persistent ways—muscles sore, abdomen tender, a heaviness that reminded her how close she had come to disappearing.
But she was here.
She shifted her hand, wincing slightly, and Alden stirred as if he sensed the movement. His fingers twitched, then curled reflexi
