Loyalty With Conditions
"Is that all?" Leon asked softly.
A quiet thought moved through space, sharp as the rim of steel.
One look passed between the three siblings. Not sparked by doubt - but shaped by long stretches of empty stomachs, split skin, moments buried deep. Time folded itself into a single pulse.
Max inhaled.
A shiver ran through the breathing before it settled into calm.
"No."
A quiet curve tugged at Leon's lips again. Not warmth behind it though. Watching Max, his amber stare stayed steady - too sharp to be casual, more like testing bones than listening. The silence between them stretched tight under that look.
"Then speak."
The breath in the room grew heavy again.
Now it weighed more. Like the walls had ears of their own.
