Bound by His Promise
When the light faded, Rhea collapsed.
I ran to her, catching her before she hit the floor.
Her breathing was shallow, but steady.
The neural readings—
Only one signal left.
I exhaled shakily. “You did it.”
Her eyes opened slowly, soft brown again — human.
“Jake?” she whispered.
I hesitated. “He’s… gone.”
She smiled faintly. “No. He’s home.”
And for the first time in weeks, the room was silent.
Epilogue Fragment (System Log)