Elias stirred.
It was subtle at first, a shift under the covers, a faint furrow of his brows as if the weight of too many voices had chased him into his dreams again. Then his fingers twitched against the edge of the blanket, slow and uncertain, like the world he was waking to might be worse than the one he'd left behind.
Victor turned the moment he felt it, that slight ripple of presence like a string pulling tight across the room. His entire posture changed. The distant chill faded from his face, and in its place came something smug, soft, and impossibly content.
Ashwin noticed the shift immediately. He didn't say anything. Just exhaled under his breath like a man brushing dust off his shoulders, then nodded toward the door.
"I'll be outside," he said dryly. "Try not to scare him into another coma."
Victor didn't answer, but the curve of his mouth deepened, slow and self-satisfied. Ashwin rolled his eyes and slipped out, the door clicking quietly behind him.
