The door closed behind them.
The sound settled into the room, but nothing else followed it. The space held the same tension, stretched thin between three people who had not yet decided what the next movement would be.
Julian remained where he was, the aftereffect of everything still moving under his skin. The pressure had eased enough for him to stand steady, but it had not disappeared. It sat there, quiet and waiting, as if whatever had started earlier had only paused.
Rebecca stood a step in front of him.
Lucian stood across from both of them.
No one spoke immediately.
Lucian's gaze moved once across the room, taking in the overturned tray, the loose instruments on the floor, the faint mark left against Julian's wrist. It was a quick assessment, precise, then his attention settled where it had been from the moment he arrived.
On Julian, then he stepped forward.
