Felix woke to voices.
They were soft, hushed by the thick stone walls of the infirmary, but they carried a weight of concern that pulled him back from the gray fog of unconsciousness.
For a moment, disoriented by the scent of medicinal herbs and sterilized air, he thought he was dreaming.
Then he felt the familiar pressure of presence—the specific, electrified way a room felt full even before his eyes opened.
"You're awake," Leo said quickly. The boy was leaning over the edge of the bed, relief spilling into his voice so sharply it almost sounded like an accusation.
Felix offered a dry, faint smile. "You sound... disappointed, kid."
"Don't push it," Leo muttered, though his shoulders visibly dropped three inches as the tension left his frame.
Felix shifted, wincing as he propped himself up against the pillows. The private chamber was dim, the heavy velvet curtains drawn against the midday sun.
Ember stood near the window, her arms crossed tightly, her eyes flashing with a predatory sort of worry.
Mellisa sat in the chair beside the bed, her posture regal and calm, though her hands were clasped so tightly in her lap that her knuckles were white.
And Kai—
Kai was closest. He was seated on the very edge of the mattress, his silhouette blocking out the light, positioned with a protective gravity that suggested he hadn't moved in hours.
"You scared us, Felix," Kai said quietly.
His voice wasn't the bark of a General or the command of a Leader. It was just honest. Raw. Stripped of the armor he usually wore to face the Council.
Felix looked up at him, truly looking past the silver-blue glow of Kai's eyes into the exhaustion underneath. "I'm sorry," Felix replied, his voice a mere rasp.
Kai shook his head slowly. "Don't be. Not for surviving."
He reached out, hesitating for a fraction of a second before resting his hand over Felix's wrist—avoiding the fresh bandages with a clinical tenderness. "You came back. To us. That is the only report that matters today."
Felix's throat tightened, a lump forming that had nothing to do with the injuries from the Boundary.
Ember broke the silence with a sharp, ragged exhale that sounded suspiciously like a suppressed sob. "Next time you decide to play the lone hero in a corrupted zone, I'm breaking every protocol in the book and dragging you back by your hair."
Felix chuckled weakly, the movement pulling at his side. "Missed you too, Ember."
Her glare softened despite her best efforts to look furious. "You're a complete idiot, Leader Ronan."
She stepped forward, her hand lingering briefly on his shoulder—it was warm, grounding, a stark contrast to the cold magic he had faced in the mist.
"Don't ever think you're expendable," she added, her voice dropping to a fierce whisper. "Any of you. Not for the Realm. Not for anything."
Leo nodded fiercely from the foot of the bed. "Yeah. Especially not you. We need someone to make the soup taste like effort, remember?"
Leo stayed at the edge of the bed, his fingers picking at the hem of his tunic. He looked like he wanted to say more but didn't know if he had the right.
Felix noticed. He always noticed the quiet ones. "Hey," Felix said gently, catching the boy's eye. "You okay?"
Leo scoffed, though it lacked its usual bite. "I should be asking you that. You're the one who looks like a mummy."
Felix tilted his head. "We broke the rules to come back for you before, Leo. This time, you stayed for me. You didn't run when things got messy."
Leo swallowed hard, his gaze dropping to the floor. "I thought... if something happened to you," he admitted, his voice small, "it'd be my fault. Like I was the reason Clementia started targeting the group. Because I'm the weak link."
Felix reached out with his uninjured hand, snagging Leo's sleeve. "You're not the weak link, Leo. You're the reason we finally realized we had to stand together. You're the catalyst, not the cause."
That landed. Leo's jaw trembled just slightly before he looked away, blinking rapidly.
"Don't say stuff like that. It's embarrassing."
Felix smiled, tired but genuine. "Too late. It's in the record now."
Mellisa finally spoke, her voice a cool balm in the warm room. "You don't have to be the 'strong one' right now, Felix. The Council is handled. The Oversight is in place."
Felix met her eyes. There was a depth of understanding there that made his heart skip. She knew his secret. She knew what he had done at the Boundary, and she was the only one who realized how much that display of power had cost his soul.
He nodded once, a silent thank-you passing between them.
"I'm tired," he admitted, the weight of the day finally crashing down.
Mellisa reached out and adjusted the heavy wool blanket, tucking it around his shoulders. "Then rest. We aren't going anywhere."
They stayed.
There were no maps spread across the bed. No tactical briefings. No whispered plans on how to outmaneuver Clementia. For the first time since the trials began, there was just... presence.
Kai remained exactly where he was, close enough that his knee brushed against Felix's leg through the covers.
Ember leaned back against the wall, her gaze never leaving the bed.
Leo eventually sat on the floor, his back against the footboard, pretending to study his boots while listening to the rhythm of Felix's breathing.
For a few precious hours, the Second Realm felt small. Contained. Safe.
As the magical lamps dimmed and Felix's breathing finally evened out into a deep, healing sleep, Kai spoke—so quietly the words barely disturbed the air.
"We're still here," he said, looking at the others. "All of us."
Mellisa closed her eyes, leaning her head back against the chair. Ember nodded solemnly. Leo smiled into the shadows.
And in the privacy of that dim chamber, miles away from the prying eyes of Lady Clementia—they let themselves be human again.
Just for a while.