Riah gently pushed open the door to Gendai's room, her arms wrapped around her sleeping friend. The soft light from the hallway spilled in as she stepped through, careful not to wake her. Gendai had done it—she had conquered her inner storm. The battle was over, and now all she needed was rest.
She laid Gendai down on the bed, brushing a stray lock of hair from her forehead before stepping back. Neve and Tyrone were already there. Tyrone stood near the window, arms loosely crossed, clearly unsure of what to say. Neve watched Riah with quiet focus.
"She's okay," Riah said softly. "Tired… but she's okay."
Neve nodded. "I figured. I saw the sky clear."
"She didn't need to be saved," Riah added. Her voice was steady, but her hands were clenched. "He said she had to face it alone. That it wasn't his place to step in."
Neve stepped closer, folding her arms. "So you heard."
"I was there," Riah said. "I didn't like it—but I understood what he meant."
Tyrone glanced over but remained quiet, eyes shifting between the two women.
Neve looked at Gendai, watching her chest rise and fall in rhythmic peace. "You still helped her."
"Of course I did," Riah said, her tone sharper now. "Facing something alone doesn't mean you can't be reminded you're worth fighting for. She didn't need someone to save her—she needed someone to believe in her."
Tyrone blinked like he was still catching up, nodding slightly but saying nothing.
Neve sighed. "Kazimir's been trying to turn pain into discipline. He thinks if he lets people lean on him too much, they'll fall the moment he's not around."
"He's not wrong," Riah muttered. "But he's not right either. There's a difference between reliance and connection."
Neve tilted her head. "That's what he doesn't get. He thinks connection equals dependence."
Riah looked down at Gendai again. "She's stronger because of the people around her. Because we reminded her she wasn't alone. That doesn't make her weak—it makes her unstoppable."
Neve's expression softened. "And you're going to tell him that?"
Riah's lips curved into something between a smirk and a sigh. "I already did once. I'll do it again if I have to."
Tyrone finally piped up, scratching the back of his head. "So… wait. He really just let her go on purpose?"
Riah glanced at him. "Yeah. He didn't abandon her. He trusted her. But trust doesn't mean disappearing."
Tyrone gave a slow nod, still clearly unsure how to feel about it all.
Riah turned to Neve. "He's trying to make us into warriors who won't die the next time a monster shows up. I get it. But if he keeps shutting us out to do that, he'll end up the only one standing."
"And that's not victory," Neve said quietly.
"No," Riah agreed. "That's just survival. And that's not enough."
The three of them fell into silence. Gendai's breathing was slow and peaceful. For now, everything was calm. But Riah's mind was already racing—not with anger, but with certainty.
She would show Kazimir that strength wasn't measured by solitude.