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