[The Next Day]
Satou woke to warmth on both sides.
The morning sun filtered through the repaired sections of his quarters' ceiling—craftsmen had worked through the night to fix the hole TheReaper's message had left. Soft light painted the room in shades of gold and amber, falling across the two women sleeping beside him.
Jessica was curled against his left side, her pink hair spread across his chest like silk. Her breathing was deep and even, one hand resting over his heart as if checking its rhythm even in sleep. Her healing magic had become so instinctive that Satou could feel faint traces of it emanating from her touch—a constant, unconscious effort to keep him healthy and whole.
