Mercer woke the next morning to an unfamiliar quiet in his own mind. Two years of the Ledger's steady presence, its careful observations and quiet warnings, had become so constant that its absence felt almost like a missing limb.
"How do you feel," Isla asked, watching him carefully over breakfast.
"Strange," Mercer admitted. "Lighter, the way I expected. But also uncertain, in a way I didn't anticipate. I've relied on its guidance for so long, I'm not entirely sure how to navigate difficult choices without it."
"You have navigated plenty of difficult choices yourself, these past two years. The Ledger observed and occasionally warned, but you made the actual decisions." Isla reached across the table, covering his hand with her own. "I think you'll find you're more capable alone than you
