Elias’s POV

Ronan’s room was dim and quiet in a way that felt unreal.

The hallway outside had been cold, bright, sharp with tension. But the moment the door sealed behind us, everything shifted.

The air changed first. It was dense, warm, and private. A hum of active shielding vibrated faintly through the walls, like a heartbeat.

And Ronan…He didn’t move at first.

He stood by the door as it locked, shoulders rising and falling with slow, controlled breaths. His aura tightened inward, ...