The door held for another week.
Marcus stood at the threshold, his will steady, his purpose clear. The thing on the other side had grown quiet, patient, waiting. But Marcus knew it was still there. He could feel it at the edges of his awareness, ancient and hungry, biding its time.
Anna visited him every day. She would stand beside him at the threshold, her hand resting on his shoulder, her presence a warm anchor in the cold void. She didn't speak much. She didn't need to. Their connection was deeper than words now, forged in the fires of everything they'd been through.
Lily came less often. She was busy with the survivors, helping them heal, guiding them forward. The First Breath had become her constant companion, its innocence and curiosity a balm for the pain they'd all carried.
Eve
