<b>CHAPTER </b><b>137 </b>
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Saphira stepped into her room, the door clicking shut behind her with a soft finality. The quiet wrapped around her like a balm–gentle, familiar, and deeply needed. She stood still for a moment, letting the silence settle into her bones. Her eyes drifted across the space: the neatly made bed, the soft spill of moonlight across the floorboards, the faint trace ofvender from the diffuser on the shelf. <i>Home</i>. <i>Finally</i>.
She peeled off her clothes slowly, eachyer feeling heavier than it should. Her body ached–not just from the mission, but from the weight of everything she’d carried. Every decision. Every moment of
fear. Every word she hadn’t said. Her fingers trembled slightly as she undid thest sp, and she
stepped into the shower, letting the steam rise around her like a veil.
The hot water cascaded over her skin, washing away the grime, the tension, the lingering adrenaline. Her forehead pressed against the cool tile, breath fogging the air. <i>I’m </i><i>safe</i>. <i>I’m here</i>. <i>But </i><i>gods</i><i>, </i><i>I’m </i><i>tired</i><i>. </i>Her eyes closed, and for a few long minutes, she let herself disappear into the heat.
The water muffled everything–memories, voices, even the quiet rage still simmering in her chest. She stayed longer than she meant to, letting the warmth soak into her muscles, soften the edges of her thoughts.
When she finally stepped out, wrapped in a towel, her hair damp and curling at the ends, she paused mid–step.
Niks was there.
He sat on the edge of the bed, two tes bnced on hisp, the scent of warm bread and roasted vegetables filling the room. Her heart lifted instantly, a soft flutter in her chest. <i>He </i><i>waited</i><i>. </i><i>He </i><i>brought </i><i>food</i>. Of course he <i>did</i><i>. </i>
She smiled, surprised and touched. “You didn’t have to.”
Niks looked up, his eyes lighting the moment they met hers. “I wanted to.”
She walked over<b>, </b>the towel tucked tightly around her, still clinging to the warmth of the shower. She took one of the tes from him, the heat seeping into her fingers. She sat beside him, their shoulders brushing<b>, </b>and for a while, they ate in quietpanionship.
Every few bites, their eyes met–brief nces, lingering ones. The kind that said I missed <i>you</i>, <i>I’m </i><i>here</i><i>, </i><i>You’re </i><i>safe </i><i>now</i>. Words weren’t needed. Not yet.
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12:22 Fri<b>, </b><b>Sep </b>12
As soon as thest bite was gone, Niks moved.
Fast.
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He set the te aside and pulled her into his arms, his lips finding hers with urgency. The towel slipped slightly, but she didn’t care. Her hands curled around his neck, her breath catching as he kissed her like he’d been holding back since the moment she left.
“I missed you,” he murmured against her mouth. “I was worried. But more than anything… I’m proud of you. You did it. You came back to me.”
Saphira’s heart swelled, her fingers brushing his jaw, tracing the familiar curve of his cheek. “No matter what,” she whispered, “I’ll always return to you.”
They kissed again, deeper this time, and Niks pulled her gently onto the bed, his hands never leaving her. The world faded into warmth and breath and the quiet rhythm of belonging–no war, no
fear, just them.
And for the first time in days, Saphira let herself feel.
Morning broke in soft gold, spilling through the curtains in quiet streaks that painted the walls in warmth. Saphira stirred slowly, her cheek nestled against the steady rise and fall of Niks‘ chest. His arm was wrapped around her waist, firm and protective, fingers resting just above her hip like he hadn’t let go all night. For a few precious seconds, she didn’t move. Just breathed. <i>This </i><i>is </i><i>peace</i><i>. </i><i>This </i>
is <i>mine</i><i>. </i>
The weight of the past few days still lingered in her limbs, but here, in this moment, it felt distant- like something she could finally begin to unpack.
Niks shifted beneath her, his breath brushing her hair as he pressed a kiss to her temple. “We’re meeting after breakfast,” he murmured, voice still thick with sleep. “To go over everything.”
Saphira nodded, her fingers tracing slow, idle circles on his skin. “Good,” she said softly. “I can’t see things moving slow now. Not after we were caught. Not after how we left Cassandra.”
Her voice was steady, but her thoughts weren’t. We exposed too much. <i>Left </i>too many threads dangling. And Cassandra… she <i>won’t </i>stay quiet.
Niks exhaled, his hand sliding up to rest against her shoulder, thumb brushing gently along her corbone. “Raven gave me a rundown of what happened,” he said. “But I want to hear from you. How are you feeling?”
12:22 Fri<b>, </b>Sep 12
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Saphira hesitated, her gaze drifting to the ceiling. <i>How </i><i>am </i><i>I </i><i>feeling</i><i>? </i>Her body still ached, her mind reyed fragments of the confrontation like broken ss. But beneath the exhaustion and the regret, there was something steadier. Something earned.
“I regret not saying some things,” she admitted, voice low. “There were words I wanted to throw at Lupus. Things I needed him to hear. But… I stayed in control. And that surprised me.”
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Niks smiled, brushing a strand of hair from her face, his touch lingering. “You’re the strongest
person I’ve ever met,” he said. “And when the timees, I’ll make sure you have the chance to tell
them exactly how you feel.”
Her chest tightened–not with pain, but with gratitude. <i>He </i><i>sees </i><i>me</i>. <i>All </i><i>of </i><i>me</i>. <i>Even </i><i>the </i>parts <i>I’m </i><i>still </i><i>learning </i><i>to </i><i>hold</i>.
Theyy there a moment longer, wrapped in quietfort, before deciding to get up. Saphira
slipped into her robe, the fabric soft against her skin, and padded barefoot across the room. Niks pulled on a shirt, watching her with a quiet smile.
In the kitchen, they shared a quiet breakfast–warm toast, scrambled eggs, and softughter that felt
like sunlight. The conversation drifted to pack business: finances that needed reviewing, school
schedules for the children, training rotations that had fallen behind. Necessary. <i>Normal</i>.
After eating, they walked together to the office. The halls were still quiet, the house not yet fully
awake. Saphira stepped inside first, the familiar scent of parchment and wood polish. The room was
still, waiting.
She moved to the long table and pulled out a stack of nk paper, setting it neatly in front of her. Her fingers brushed the surface, steady and purposeful. <i>Just </i>in <i>case</i><i>. </i><i>We’ll </i>need <i>to </i><i>be </i><i>ready</i><i>. </i>We <i>always </i><ol><li>do. </li></ol>
Niks sat beside her, his presence calm and unwavering.
And Saphira waited–ready to speak, ready to listen, ready to lead.
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