He stood at the edge of the rail, eyes following the serpents gliding alongside them. Watching them cut through the water in smooth, hypnotic arcs like they were dancing with the hull.
Behind him, the deck had come alive with the quiet rhythm of recovery. Everyone moving. Everyone doing something. The ship breathing again after nearly breaking apart.
Luca had slipped back to his old self. That calm, cool, effortlessly charming version of him that made everything look like a performance—including near death experiences.
And Nora was smiling.
A small smile. Soft. The kind she only wore when she forgot someone was watching. The kind of smile Shiro wished he could freeze in place and keep forever.
He didn't want anything to take that away from her again.
He stared at her longer than he meant to.
Until the door to the basement creaked open and Ana stepped out.
