"Belle! Over here!"
Neon's voice cut through the cool evening air the exact second his sister and Eli cleared the perimeter gate. Standing under the glow of the courtyard lights, the little boy waved enthusiastically, while beside him, Andrei held up his white erasure board. Written in neat, block letters was a simple message: WELCOME HOME.
"How was the shift? Did you run into any problems today?" Neon asked, bounding forward.
Belle smiled, the lingering irritation from her internal battle with Ceres dissolving instantly. She reached down, affectionately tousling her brother's hair before doing the same for Andrei, whose dark eyes lit up with quiet validation at the gesture.
"We managed everything perfectly today," Belle reassured them, her voice softening. "No anomalies, no problems."
