The room does not recover after Varek leaves.
It simply… continues.
Like something essential has been removed from the air and everyone is pretending it wasn’t.
Rylan is still holding me.
But now his grip is different.
Less protective.
More afraid of losing something he can’t physically keep hold of.
“Lyra,” he says again.
My name sounds far away for a moment.
Then it returns.
I blink.
“I’m here,” I say.
Aria exhales sharply like she’s been holding her breath for too long.
“She stabilized slightly,” she mutters.
Mara turns instantly.
“Don’t talk about her like she’s a system,” she says coldly.
Aria looks up.
“I’m not,” she says. “I’m talking about what I’m seeing.”
Rylan cuts in immediately.
“Stop seeing her like that.”
Aria hesitates.
Then nods once.
“Understood.”
B
