[Jake's POV]
Morning came to Apex Tower not with the gentle warmth of a sunrise, but with the cold, piercing clarity of winter light striking reinforced glass.
I woke up in the private quarters attached to my office. The sheets were tangled, the air still heavy with the scent of sandalwood, expensive perfume, and the lingering heat of the night before. My body ached in a dozen different places—the bruised ribs from the tactical shield, the shallow bullet graze on my shoulder, the split skin on my knuckles.
A year ago, the System would have flooded my veins with a healing surge. Oracle would have mapped the micro-tears in my muscles and optimized my recovery. But Oracle was gone. The god in my skull had gone silent in Europe, leaving me with nothing but raw, human exhaustion and the heavy, aching reality of my own flesh.
I turned my head. Elena was already awake.
