Rama woke to silence.
Not peaceful silence. Operational silence. The kind that meant crisis was being handled competently without his input. Unsettling after months of constant coordination. Disorienting after seventy-two hours of sleepless calculation.
He checked his watch. 4:17 PM. Fourteen hours since collapse. Two hours past Sekar's promised twelve-hour limit. She'd extended his recovery without asking. Probably correct decision. Definitely frustrating.
His body felt different. Rested. Functional. Mind clear instead of foggy with exhaustion. Sleep medication had worked. Forced twelve—fourteen—hours of actual rest instead of anxious calculation masquerading as sleep.
He stood. Tested mobility. Everything worked. Injuries from Herald were completely healed. Corruption fully purged. Body was ready for Ravager even if mind still carried accumulated weight of casualties.
