Irina let out a slow breath, feeling the tension that had been weighing her down since her conversation with Ethan finally ease.
It wasn't that everything was solved. It wasn't that the situation was suddenly less complicated. But somehow, after talking with Astron, after hearing his steady, unshaken perspective, she felt…
Refreshed.
Like her mind wasn't trapped in the endless cycle of frustration and uncertainty that had been annoying her all day.
She stretched her arms above her head, then—on impulse—stood up and started jumping in place, the sudden burst of movement shaking off the last remnants of that heavy, suffocating feeling.
Her lips curled into a grin as she turned to him.
"Ahhh, that feels better," she said, exhaling dramatically. Then, with an easy, genuine smile, she looked at him and said, "Thanks, Astron."
Astron simply nodded, accepting the gratitude without much reaction, but that was just how he was. He wouldn't say anything unnecessary. He didn't need to.
