Elara's room was too quiet.
Nathan had never noticed before. Not really.
But now, standing in the doorway with his hands shoved in his pockets, he realized just how silent it was inside.
No music. No ventilation hum. No clutter. Just stillness. Neatly folded sheets. A desk with papers stacked in perfect symmetry.
Her spear, leaned against the wall like a permanent shadow.
He stepped in and said, "Okay, this is definitely where people go to die emotionally."
Elara didn't answer right away. She sat on the edge of her bed, arms crossed, back straight. Hair silver like frost and eyes even colder.
Except… not really.
Nathan could see it.
The crack beneath the ice.
"You said Liliana and Adrian are in," he said, keeping his tone light as he sat across from her. "That makes four."
Elara nodded once. "I didn't ask Ethan or Seraphina."
"Yeah," he muttered, "I can't decide if they'd join us or turn us in."
"Elara," he said after a pause, "are we really doing this?"
