The next morning came cloaked in a soft haze. Golden sunlight spilled through the hotel curtains, warming the air that carried the faint scent of brewed coffee and distant city life. Lea stood by the window, gazing out at the skyline of Eldrin City, her reflection faintly mirrored on the glass. It was hard to believe that only a day ago, she, Hugo, Kael, and Marina had been standing before a vanishing rift — a glowing doorway between life and death, reality and the unknown.
Behind her, Hugo zipped their last suitcase shut. "All set," he said quietly, glancing at her. He was dressed in a casual black shirt and dark jeans, his hair slightly tousled from sleep. Yet even in his simplicity, Hugo carried that calm authority — the kind that made Lea feel safe in the middle of uncertainty.
Lea turned toward him, brushing her fingers against the edge of her travel bag. "It still feels strange… leaving them behind."
