The message remained on Seraphina's screen long after the phone dimmed; the words settled somewhere deep beneath logic, striking a place inside her she rarely allowed herself to acknowledge directly.
Lucien noticed the shift in her expression immediately. "What happened?"
Seraphina locked the phone screen without answering at first; the hospital archive room suddenly felt too cold and too small.
"Seraphina," Lucien said again, quieter this time.
She finally handed him the phone, and Lucien read the message once. His face changed instantly, not shocked but controlled, hardening into something dangerous.
Elias moved closer. "What is it?"
Lucien briefly turned the screen toward him, and Elias swore under his breath.
The hospital administrator, standing near the doorway, looked increasingly nervous. "I think perhaps local authorities should become involved immediately."
"No," Lucien answered calmly.
The woman blinked.
