Geras waited until the hallway sensors showed Kikaru and Paul moving away.
Only then did he sit back and let some of the command posture leave his shoulders. It did not make him look softer. It made him look older, and Elias was starting to understand there was a difference.
"How are you holding up when no one is measuring your answer?" Geras asked.
Elias almost gave the easy version. Training was going well. He was eating. He was sleeping when the System allowed it. His scores were improving. Every official answer sat ready in his mouth because the Cube had taught him how to report survival as progress.
He chose the less useful truth.
"I am functional enough to keep moving, not fine," Elias said. "I can keep moving, but every answer we get creates three new ways to die."
Geras nodded. "That is a fair read of the current situation."
