"Kuu…"
Noctis stopped, lifting a paw to his face as he let out a soft, mournful purr that lingered for a few moments before fading into a quiet sigh.
He wandered back afterward, curling tightly against Atticus' chest as though scared that he might leave him.
Magnus watched in silence. The little creature might have been even more stubborn than he was.
While Magnus had refused to leave Atticus' side, remaining in the same room day after day, attending to him without rest, Noctis had gone further, never leaving Atticus' chest at all, stirring only to lick him or press close as if testing whether he might wake.
Seeing it, Magnus felt a quiet relief settle in him. His grandson was not alone.
He straightened Atticus' blanket, smoothing it carefully, and was just about to return to his seat when a sudden chill ran through him.
Magnus' head snapped toward the source, narrowing his eyes.
