Elias was in there. I had seen it—the flicker of recognition, the way his voice cracked when he said my name. But now he was silent, his body limp in the restraints, his breath shallow.
The moment felt fragile, like if I moved too fast, the illusion of hope would shatter.
Kane stood behind me, arms crossed, jaw tight. “He’s not stable.”
“I know,” I muttered.
She hesitated before adding, “Tony… if this doesn’t work, he could end up a hollow shell.”
I turned to her, my hands clenching. “And if we do nothing? He stays their puppet forever?”
Kane exhaled sharply, shaking her head. “I’m saying we might have already lost him.”
I looked back at Elias—no, at Zero. His face was still slack, expression unreadable. But I knew better. The storm was inside. I just had to reach him before he drow
