Kasteil froze, looking at the message. He read it again. His heart rate increased. His chest tightened. The words on the screen seemed to blur together, then sharpen, then blur again. What did Holland mean by this? It wasn't what he thought, was it? Space. That word. His breath caught in his throat. His hands trembled slightly.
His thumb hovered over the screen, wanting to type a reply, wanting to call him, wanting to do something. But his fingers wouldn't move. His mind was blank. All he could do was stare at the words, watching them burn into his memory. The silence in the room was deafening. Nicholas was watching him, but Kasteil didn't look up.
Then Holland sent another message.
Holland: If you cared even a little bit, you would respect my decision.
