The room had changed.
Not in the way anyone else would notice.
Not in the light, or the air, or the stillness that still lingered like something fragile.
But Kael felt it.
Something had shifted.
Something small.
Something real.
He hadn’t moved far from her since that first twitch.
Not really.
Even when the healer came to check on her.
Even when attendants stepped in quietly to change cloths, to adjust what needed adjusting.
Even when Elara returned and stood at the far end of the room, watching without speaking.
Kael stayed where he was.
Close.
Always close.
Her hand was still in his.
And now
it wasn’t completely still anymore.
At first, he thought he imagined it.
The slight pressure.
The faint curl of her fingers against his palm.
But then it happened again.
Not stro
