Alex woke with the sun filtering through his ocean-view window.
For a moment—just a moment—he forgot where he was. Forgot the Fragments, the Temple, the pursuit.
It was just... morning.
Then Grim stirred from his cushion in the corner, red lights flickering to life.
"Good. Morning. Master."
And reality returned.
But not in a terrible way. Just... returned.
"Good morning, Grim."
He got up, stretched, feeling muscles protest slightly. A week had passed since they arrived at Coral Port, and they'd established a routine.
A good routine.
Healthy, even.
He walked to the small kitchen, where Emily was already awake, making tea.
"Morning," she greeted. "Sleep well?"
"Surprisingly yes," Alex admitted. "First time in months I haven't had nightmares."
Emily smiled. "Coral Port suits you."
Raven emerged from her room, hair disheveled, yawning. Even disheveled, her Fragment 3-transformed appearance was striking—crimson highlights catching the morning light.
