Damien's point of view
It was late by the time I finished with the pack. Later than I'd planned, later than I'd promised myself it would be. The halls were quiet now, lights dimmed to their night setting, that kind of silence that only settled in after a long day of decisions, corrections, and arguments that never quite ended cleanly. This was the hour when everything slowed enough for the weight of it to catch up.
Ariel had already been tucked into bed.
I'd stayed with her longer than necessary, sitting on the edge of the mattress, one hand resting lightly over the blanket as if my presence alone might keep the world from pressing in on her. I watched her breathing even out, watched the tension leave her shoulders, waited until her fingers finally loosened their grip on my sleeve.
“Th
