Kofi woke up feeling empty but grounded. The exhaustion from using the Aegis to ward Thea's room was profound, but the quiet presence of the System's blue screen felt less like a threat and more like a tool. The Willpower increase from the completed quest was a small, satisfying victory.
The apartment felt different. The air in the main rooms still had a slight residual hum from the general reinforcement, but Thea's room, their new Sanctuary, felt utterly silent. Kofi could perceive the difference with his Thread Sense; the Sanctuary was a dense, quiet node, a metaphysical knot woven tight into the fabric of the building.
The team gathered for a strategic debrief over burnt toast and coffee. Nina was already on her second cup, reviewing the whiteboard covered in their frantic notes from the night before.
