The way he walks is slow, deliberate, as if each step is measured as he draws closer. His bare feet barely make a sound against the thick rugs, almost soundless yet somehow heavy with purpose. He stops where Evelyn had just been, lowering himself into the chair with an ease that betrays the depth of the moment. Then he looks up at me, grinning, and just like that, my defenses crumble to nothing.

“Key? What do you mean it’s time for me to know?” I ask, my voice barely steady over the ...