The road coiled along the dark slope of the mountain.
No music.
No radio.
Just the steady hum of the engine.
And Atlas breathing.
The wolf-dog sat upright in the passenger seat, almost human. Eyes fixed ahead, as if he understood something Ludwig hadn't put into words.
Ludwig drove slowly.
Not out of caution.
By choice.
The turns followed one another. Cold morning light. The air still damp. A thin mist clung to the trees, like the forest wasn't fully ready to wake up.
Groceries filled the back seat.
Enough for the week.
And set aside, almost deliberately—
a small package.
Ludwig glanced at it.
A second too long.
Then his eyes returned to the road.
One week.
He hadn't been counting.
But his body had.
One week since she arrived in pieces.
One week since he carried her, unconscious, across the park.
One week since something… shifted.
In her.
And around her.
He breathed in slowly.
Atlas tilted his head, just slightly, as if he'd felt it.
"Easy," Ludwig muttered.
The dog settled again.
Silent.
Mia.
The name crossed his mind uninvited.
He didn't try to analyze it.
That wasn't his way.
But the images came anyway.
Not the breakdowns.
Not the chaos.
No.
The quiet moments.
Early morning.
In the park.
When she thought she was alone.
The way she moved now.
Less withdrawn.
More… present.
Like she was finally inhabiting her own body.
His grip tightened, just a little, on the wheel.
He'd seen that before.
Not often.
People who came back from far away.
But with her, it was different.
Deeper.
And more unstable.
A sharp turn.
The valley opened for a brief second.
Wide.
Silent.
Nothing revealed the Sanctuary's presence.
Nothing.
And yet, it was there.
Always.
Hidden.
Protected.
Ludwig slowed down even more.
No need to rush.
They were probably waiting.
Ishtar.
Aglaë.
Octave.
And her.
A faint breath escaped him.
Almost a laugh.
Brief.
Atlas shifted slightly.
One glance.
Then another.
This time at Ludwig.
Long.
Insistent.
Ludwig raised an eyebrow.
"What."
No answer.
Obviously.
But the dog didn't look away.
As if he were waiting.
Or already knew.
Ludwig gave the slightest shake of his head.
Ridiculous.
His focus returned to the road.
But his fingers on the wheel had loosened.
The small package slid slightly in the back during a turn.
A soft sound.
Almost nothing.
But enough.
Ludwig didn't turn around.
He knew it was there.
He exhaled slowly.
And without quite realizing it, a thought formed.
Clear. Simple.
Unfiltered.
She's going to like it.
Silence.
A fraction of a second.
Then another thought, quieter still.
Almost stranger.
…I hope so.
He frowned slightly.
Like the thought didn't belong there.
Then he pressed the accelerator just a little.
The road was descending now.
The Sanctuary wasn't far.
And without fully realizing it yet—
he was already looking forward to being there.