When she finally looks back at him, there is something in her eyes that makes his stomach tighten.
"Mr. Kael is in danger."
The words don't land all at once.
They filter through Deniz slowly, seeping into his chest like cold water. Each syllable settles somewhere deep, heavy and immovable.
He blinks once. Twice. Trying to fit the shape of what she's just said into the framework of everything he thought he knew.
"Doctor..." His voice is careful, measured. "What are you saying? Zyren is in danger?"
Dr. Leia's voice is steady—the practiced calm of someone who has delivered difficult news many times before.
"Yes. After his transition to Omega, his pheromone levels have remained dangerously unstable. His body hasn't fully acclimated to the change. The balance he needs to maintain—the delicate equilibrium that keeps him functioning—is still shifting. Still fragile."
