Ray's shout echoed through the destroyed lab, sharp and final. It cut through the air like a blade, silencing everyone instantly.
He pushed himself to his feet, swaying slightly. His eyes were red, hollow, but burning with something darker now. Exhaustion. Defeat. Acceptance.
"Just… enough. I'm tired." His voice dropped to barely a whisper. "Let's just go. Just go far away from here."
Jay's eyes widened in disbelief. "What? Ray, we can't just—"
"We can't leave her like this!" Jay's voice rose, desperate. "She's our *wife*! We can't abandon her when she needs us most—"
"No."
The single word from Esme's father stopped Jay cold.
Everyone turned to look at him. The older man stood at the edge of the spongy bridge, his hand still supporting his sobbing wife. Slowly, deliberately, he wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.
"Let's go," he said quietly.
Jay stared at him, stunned. "What? Sir, you can't be serious—"
