Kael woke up before Sylphie.
That, by itself, wasn't unusual. What felt strange was staying in bed after realizing he was awake.
The light filtering through the curtains was still faint, meaning the sun had only just risen. The room was quiet except for Sylphie's breathing beside him and the occasional sound from the window whenever the wind brushed against the wood. Umbra was somewhere within the shadows, though Kael couldn't tell whether she was awake.
Normally, at that hour, he'd already be thinking about what he needed to do first.
That morning, the list still existed.
It just didn't feel urgent.
Valgrin was being handled by Irelia and Elion. Amelia was coordinating the audit of the First Archive's external connections. Selvanor would receive a formal proposal. Vareth was removing old access points. Aeris had three years to reduce its dependence on climate control. Edras wanted to remain in the Garden until winter.
None of it required Kael before breakfast.
