Velvet chains of winter
had never f
nd echoed longer than it should. Even the air felt different, thick with something unspoken
adn't
number burned behind her ey
light. It won'
in a light that felt unforgiving. Somewhere beyond the gates, people were
her arms aro
the door o
't announ
be resting
on't think I'll ever
l not to startle her. "The gates a
't help," s
eed. "But it
n, and something in her expre
uld happen," she
t answer i
ast. "I hoped it wo
ttle. "You brough
e corrected. "Maribel would've destroy
n't make t
kno
between them, frag
id suddenly. "They think I'm u
ened. "You shoul
red. "And now I don't know
stopp
h that she could feel his pres
quietly. "You're not a strate
s face, despera
this feel lik
"Because visibility
he estate wa
t digitally, lega
es low but urgent. Screens glowed with h
clarification," Elias said. "Not
ibel?" K
ied. "Emergency guardianship appeal
a fr
she said. "
she frames it as psychological man
ds curled
t near her,"
"Kael... there'
oked up
rts of your private security logs. It suggests you've
heart
tching?" she
idn't
of risks," he
embled. "Bef
es
hy
scalation," he said evenly. "And be
back, hurt flashin
ee," she said. "I was alr
fully now. "You wer
ot the sa
dmitted. "
suddenly too f
air," El
tantly. "I'll
r head. "Please. J
t looked like h
en minutes. Stay w
answer. She
ad always be
en the roses
layed every conversation, every look, every decision that had led her
sed the path
stop
dressed simply, dark hair pulle
" the woman
sur
you?" Ela
led faintly.
woman slipped an envelope ont
you from everything," she said.
-vanishing through a service ex
ook as she picke
a single
ildhoo
a
ong to him. C
r screaming-but Ka
hed her i
pened?" h
him, breath ragged. "She
darkened as he exa
the line," h
Elara
of
commands into his comms. Se
is arm. "This i
. "Which is wh
fear and something els
you goin
gaze withou
ake them afraid
d have ter
t made her
sat alone in hi
the desk. Names. Con
the call
ember with skele
whose reputation
an who owed Ka
he narrative b
ccusations vanished.
Rowan enter
ing bridges,
ook up. "I'll
finds out the
inally
softly, "is the
ke, staring a
n fear and something da
hone
head
OLERANCE POLICY ON HARASS
swal
Kael appeared
iet now,
how l
dn't
he steppe
em take you fro
ween them-raw, ung
ce was bare
ow what I'm
stopping just shor
"But whatever it is...
the cit
chi
.