The sharp clink of his shoes against marble echoed through the long hall as he made his way to the study, the silence almost suffocating. He had barely stepped through the door when the sound of light footsteps stopped him.
"Leon?"
Kalen's voice was soft—hesitant, like a child afraid of the answer he might receive.
Leon turned, his cold expression softening only slightly at the sight of the boy. His dark eyes, always searching, were fixed on him now, filled with a need for comfort and truth.
"You're back," Kalen said, stepping closer. "You've been gone for weeks."
"I had to find someone," Leon replied simply, the weight of exhaustion in his voice betraying the calm in his tone.
Kalen's brows furrowed. "Ayla?" he asked, voice barely a whisper. "You were looking for her, weren't you?"
Leon didn't answer immediately. He stared past Kalen, a muscle twitching in his jaw. The guilt was there—he hadn't meant to leave Kalen for so long. But everything had spiraled when Ayla disappeared. Tracking Daniel, hunting down names and shadows—it had consumed every waking second.
"She's not here, is she?" Kalen's question sliced through the silence.
"No," Leon said finally. "Not yet."
"Is she in trouble?"
Leon looked down at him, placing a hand on Kalen's shoulder. "She's safe… for now. I'll bring her home. I promise."
Kalen nodded slowly, but his eyes didn't hide the storm of emotions brewing inside. "I miss her."
Leon's voice dropped lower, a rare tenderness in his words. "So do I."
They stood there in silence—brothers by choice, bound not by blood but by something stronger. Loss. Hope. Family.
Outside, the sky had begun to dim. But inside, a quiet resolve began to build. Leon was done searching in the dark. The next move would be his—and this time, he wouldn't let her slip away.