Waking up, Blake felt… good.
No, way better than good.
Refreshed.
For a few seconds, he simply laid there, staring upward, letting the quiet settle around him.
Then it clicked.
Everything had been going smoothly lately. Suspiciously smoothly.
"…Right," he muttered under his breath, rolling onto his side.
The favorability level.
Ever since it had climbed, no, jumped to an eight, things had shifted in a way Blake couldn't ignore, even if he wanted to.
The missions were still there, of course. The system wasn't the kind to just disappear out of goodwill. But they felt… lighter, more specifically, less aggressive.
And most importantly, they weren't coming as often.
Blake exhaled slowly, rubbing his face before pushing himself up.
"Finally," he mumbled.
For once, it felt like he could actually breathe.
He stretched, joints popping faintly, before getting out of bed and making his way toward the kitchen.
A faint hum slipped past his lips without him realizing it.
