The watching did not feel dramatic.
It felt uncomfortable, like being stared at from across a room and never finding the eyes.
Two days after the gathering, Ervin received a message he did not expect. It was short, unencrypted, and carried an old signature code he had not seen in years.
Elara was back.
She arrived in the late afternoon, not with an escort, not with announcements, just a quiet vehicle rolling through the gates. She stepped out first, thinner than before, her hair tied back without care. There was dust on her coat that did not belong to any road near the city.
Her father followed more slowly.
Ervin met them near the veranda.
"You chose a strange time to return," Ervin said.
"There is no normal time left," Aren replied. "Only late and too late."
Elara did not greet anyone at first. She looked straight at the sky, at the pale band still lingering even during daylight.
"So it finally showed itself," she said. Not fear. Recognition.
