The war room was a whirlwind of motion and noise, with maps spread across tables and voices raised in urgent discussion. Yet, all of it faded into the background as Elena steadied herself, taking in the scene before her. Her heart raced, still caught between the disorienting shift from Tay’s domain and the overwhelming relief of being back in her realm.
For a moment, no one noticed her, the chaos of the room too consuming. Then, as if sensing her presence, Kai, who stood across the room deep in conversation with a general, froze mid-sentence. His body went rigid, his eyes locking onto her as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. The room seemed to fall silent, the world narrowing to just the two of them.
“It’s really you?” Kai’s voice was low, almost a whisper, as if speaking too lo
