Morning came without ceremony.
The light filtered through the narrow window in Roman's room, pale and indifferent, touching the edges of the bed, the chair, the floor, as if nothing in the world had shifted overnight. The hospital carried on in its quiet rhythm, nurses walking past, distant monitors beeping, doors opening and closing with soft restraint.
But for Roman—
Time had not moved.
He hadn't slept again.
He had stayed seated for most of the night, his back against the chair, his eyes either fixed on the wall or closed without rest. Every sound from the hallway had pulled his attention up, every passing second stretching into something longer than it should have been.
No update.
No call.
Even Daniel hadn't responded.
That alone didn't sit right.
Roman checked his phone again, though he already knew what he would see.
Nothing.
His jaw tightened slightly.
Before he could think further, a knock came at the door.
