He carefully cleaned and dressed the areas affected by the delivery using sterile medical supplies, checking for bleeding and other complications as he worked. When he was satisfied that everything was stable, he applied a thin layer of a translucent alchemical gel over several resonance burns that had appeared along her lower abdomen during the birth. The gel glowed faintly for a moment before being absorbed. “It will reduce inflammation,” he explained quietly. “And help the damaged resonance channels recover.” Norka smiled weakly. “…You always sound so confident.” He almost smiled. “I’m usually thinking two steps ahead.” She looked toward the nearby bassinet. “…The baby…” Ethan followed her gaze. The newborn had finally fallen asleep. Tiny hands tucked beneath its chin. Breathing peacefully. He looked back at Norka. “You both made it.” Her eyes slowly filled with tears. Not from pain this time. From relief. She whispered so softly he almost didn’t hear it. “…Tha

The child barely stirred.Still sleeping peacefully.“So small…” Karpeta whispered.Ethan looked at her.“Sit first.”She frowned.“…Why?”“So if you’re nervous, you won’t accidentally drop the baby.”Elsa nodded enthusiastically.“I support that plan.”Karpeta rolled her eyes.“I’m not going to drop my cousin.”“Cousin?” Elsa teased.“You’ve already claimed the title.”Karpeta ignored her.She sat carefully in the chair beside the bed.Only then did Ethan slowly place the baby into her arms.The moment the tiny bundle settled against her…Karpeta completely froze.“…”She didn’t even breathe.Elsa leaned over.“You okay?”“…”“Karpeta?”Still nothing.Linda smiled.“I think she’s overwhelmed.”Finally, Karpeta whispered,“…She’s…”She looked down at the baby’s peaceful face.“…Perfect.”A tear rolled slowly down her cheek.“I’ve never held someone this small before.”The baby’s tiny hand stretched upward.Without thinking, Karpeta offered a finger.Just like before…the baby wrapped

“There.” She gently—but very deliberately—pried Karpeta’s fingers away from Ethan’s hand. Then she slipped herself into the space separating them. Karpeta stared at her in disbelief. “…What are you doing?” Elsa looked completely innocent. “Walking.” “You literally separated our hands.” “I corrected the walking formation.” “There was nothing wrong with the walking formation.” “There absolutely was.” Karpeta folded her arms. “You are unbelievable.”Elsa folded her arms.“You are unbelievable.”Karpeta folded hers as well.“No.”“I’m observant.”Elsa let out a dry laugh.“Observant?”“You practically attached yourself to Ethan the second we stepped out.”Karpeta raised an eyebrow.“I held his hand.”“For two seconds.”“You reacted like I’d declared war.”Elsa pointed at her.“Because you know exactly what you’re doing.”Linda sighed under her breath.“…Please don’t.”Neither of them listened.Karpeta took a slow step forward.“And what exactly am I doing?”Elsa sm

Ethan remained silent.For a moment…he almost listened.Almost.Then he looked toward the closing exit doors.And something in his expression changed.Not because he agreed with Elsa.Not because he was choosing her.Because he knew her.And he knew she was hurting.“I’ll talk to her.”Karpeta’s eyes hardened.“Ethan.”He ignored the warning.The doors closed.But before they fully sealed—Ethan stepped through.Karpeta stood there, watching him disappear.Her hands slowly tightened.Linda looked at her.“You knew he would go.”Karpeta didn’t answer.Linda sighed.“You still told him not to.”A faint, bitter smile appeared on Karpeta’s face.“Yes.”“Because I wanted to see if he would choose to stay.”Linda looked toward the empty corridor.“And?”Karpeta lowered her eyes.“…He didn’t.”Meanwhile…Ethan moved quickly through the underground passage.“Elsa!”His footsteps echoed.The distance between them grew smaller.She was already approaching the surface exit.“Elsa, wait.”She st

Ethan stared at the message for only a fraction of a second.Then he locked the screen.Whoever had sent it…could wait.Elsa couldn’t.He slipped one arm beneath her shoulders and the other beneath her knees.“Linda.”She was already beside him.“We’re moving her.”Linda nodded immediately.“I’ll stabilize her on the way.”Without another word, Ethan carefully lifted Elsa into his arms.She let out a faint groan.“…Sorry…”“You have nothing to apologize for,” Ethan replied quietly.The crowd instinctively stepped aside.“Make room!”“Let them through!”“Someone’s taking her to the hospital!”Ethan moved quickly toward the black SUV parked a short distance away.He opened the rear passenger door.“Linda.”“I’m here.”“Get in with her.”Linda climbed into the back seat immediately, pulling a compact emergency medical kit from her shoulder bag.“I’ll monitor her until we arrive.”Ethan carefully laid Elsa across the back seat, making sure her neck remained supported.Elsa’s eyelids flut