The first morning of the new phase felt deceptively familiar.
Aaliyah woke at the same hour, light slipping through the curtains at the same angle, the city beginning its daily hum beyond the windows. For a moment, just a moment, her body reached for an urgency that no longer existed. A quiet reflex, ingrained by years of vigilance.
Then it passed.
She lay still, listening instead.
Not for alerts.
Not for incoming demands.
Just for the ordinary sounds of life moving forward without needing her intervention.
Rowan noticed the difference immediately.
"You're not rushing," Rowan said from the doorway, coffee in hand.
Aaliyah smiled faintly. "There's nowhere to be early for."
Rowan handed her the mug and sat on the edge of the bed. "How does that sit with you?"
Aaliyah considered the question carefully. "Like I've stepped into time instead of standing guard over it."
The day unfolded without structure imposed upon it.
