The room fell quiet as Aster Roth stepped closer.
He moved without hurry, the faint echo of his shoes the only sound in the medical wing. His suit looked almost absurdly elegant in a place filled with medical equipment and softly glowing monitors.
Marianne straightened slightly.
"Aster."
He gave her a small nod.
"Marianne."
Then his gaze settled on the woman lying on the table.
For a moment he simply observed her.
Blonde hair tangled with rainwater. Mud on her clothes. Skin pale with exhaustion.
The most famous face on the planet.
And yet here she was.
Broken. Unconscious. Alone.
Aster tilted his head slightly.
"Well," he murmured.
"That escalated quickly."
Ludwig crossed his arms.
"You know who she is."
Aster gave him a sideways glance.
"My dear Ludwig, half the planet knows who she is."
He stepped closer to the table.
Marianne watched him carefully.
"You expected this?" she asked.
Aster's expression became thoughtful.
"No."
A brief pause.
"But I was wondering which of them would find the door first."
Ludwig frowned.
"Which of who?"
Aster didn't answer.
Instead he placed two fingers lightly against Mia's forehead.
For a moment nothing happened.
Then his eyes closed.
The room remained perfectly still.
The monitors continued their quiet rhythm.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
Aster inhaled slowly.
And something in his expression changed.
Not surprise.
Recognition.
"Yes…" he whispered.
There was a whole crowd in there.
Layers of consciousness brushing against each other like shifting shadows.
Fear.
Anger.
Protection.
Silence.
And beneath them all…
something darker.
Something sharp.
Watching.
Aster opened his eyes again.
"Well," he said softly.
"That explains the trip across the continent."
Marianne folded her arms.
"Care to share?"
Aster looked at her, amused.
"Oh, she didn't come here."
He glanced down at Mia again.
"They did."
Ludwig frowned.
"They?"
Aster stepped back from the table.
"The personalities."
He adjusted the cuff of his sleeve calmly.
"It seems her internal parliament voted to relocate."
Marianne sighed.
"You're being cryptic again."
Aster smiled faintly.
"My dear Marianne, if I stopped being cryptic, people might begin to expect clarity."
Behind him, one of the monitors flickered slightly as Odin processed the data.
Aster's eyes moved briefly toward the screen.
"Hello, Odin."
"Good evening, Aster."
"Tell me something interesting."
A pause.
"Neurological activity suggests multiple independent cognitive structures."
Aster nodded.
"Yes."
"That would be them."
Ludwig looked from one to the other.
"So you're telling me she's got… what, a crowd living in her head?"
Aster met his gaze calmly.
"Not a crowd."
He looked once more at Mia.
"A system."
Another small pause.
Then he added, almost cheerfully,
"And judging by the one you encountered in the forest… their most dangerous member is currently awake."
Marianne raised an eyebrow.
"And you don't seem worried."
Aster slipped his hands into his pockets.
"On the contrary."
A faint smile appeared.
"I've been hoping to meet her."