Zara’s POV

  Warmth.

  For the first time in what felt like forever, I woke up warm—wrapped in something solid, steady, safe.

  Kage.

  My breath hitched as the weight of reality pressed against my barely waking mind, memories of last night flooding in like a tide. The way his hands had held me, how his voice had sounded when he whispered my name, how the shadows had curled around us, enclosing us in a world that felt like it belonged to only us.

  I shifted slightly, my body pressing into his warmth before I even realized I was doing it. Kage was already awake.

  I could feel the steady rise and fall of his breathing, the way his arm had draped protectively around my waist, his fingers resting lightly against my skin as if he wasn’t ready to let go.

  Slowly, I opened my eyes, and found him watching me.

  His dark gaze traced my face, something softer in them than I had ever seen before. Kage was always guarded, always holding something back. But right now? He wasn’t hiding.

  Neither of us spoke.

  Because what was there to say? That what happened between us last night had changed something? That there was no going back to the way things were before? That this—whatever this was—was real?

  I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry. “Morning.”

  His lips twitched, just slightly. “Morning.”

  The moment stretched between us, neither of us willing to break it, to let the outside world creep back in just yet.

  But it did.

  My communicator rang.

  The sharp sound shattered the quiet, dragging me from the warmth of the moment like a slap to the face. I buried my face into his chest and groaned, the chuckle that rose from Kage’s chest brought a smile to my face as I rolled to the side reaching for my communicator.

  I grabbed the communicator off the nightstand, my heart pounding as I answered. “Hello?”

  “Zara.” Detective Hall’s voice. Urgent. Sharp.

  I stiffened. “What is it?”

  There was a pause, then: “She’s awake.”

  I didn’t breathe. I couldn’t.

  “Naja?” My voice cracked on the name. “She—she’s awake?”

  I sat up so fast that Kage’s arm fell away, replaced by a cold emptiness I hated more than I should have.

  “Yes. Just now.”

  I didn’t hear whatever else he said. I was already throwing off the blankets, scrambling to find my clothes, my hands shaking so badly I could barely pull them on.

  “Zara—” Kage’s voice cut through the haze, firm yet careful. He sat up, reaching for me, but I was already moving.

  “I have to go,” I said, my voice breathless, frantic. “She—she’s—”

  “I know.” He was already grabbing his own clothes, his movements swift, steady.

  I barely registered his presence behind me as I stumbled toward the door, my pulse hammering, my thoughts a tangled mess of relief and fear.

  Naja was awake.

  And nothing else mattered.

  I barely felt the weight of my feet as I ran through the sterile hallways of the hospital, the sharp scent of antiseptic filling my lungs. My heart pounded louder than my steps, my breath coming in shallow, desperate gulps. Naja was awake.

  The moment I reached her room, I shoved the door open without thinking, without caring if I startled her.

  And there she was.

  Weak, pale, but alive.

  Tears burned at the edges of my vision as I rushed to her side, my hands shaking as I reached for hers. “Naja,” I choked out, her name barely a whisper.

  Her silver-glowing hands—dimmer than I remembered, but still shimmering faintly—rested on the sheets as she stirred, her lips parting into a soft smile. “Zara…?”

  I couldn’t stop the sob that broke free. “You’re awake.” My fingers tightened around hers, as if she would disappear if I let go. “You came back.”

  She gave a weak chuckle, though even that seemed to drain her. “Of course, I did. You’d be lost without me.”

  A watery laugh escaped me, but it was fragile, barely holding together the overwhelming relief crashing over me. “You have no idea.”

  I had been so afraid. Afraid that my powers wouldn’t be enough, that I had only delayed the inevitable, that no matter how hard I had fought, she was gone forever. I had clung to the hope that I could bring her back, but deep inside, I had feared the worst—that my magic had failed, that I had lost her.

  But she was here. Alive. Talking, breathing, smiling at me. And suddenly, I couldn’t stop the fresh tears from welling in my eyes, my grip on her hand tightening as if to convince myself she was real.

  Behind me, Kage stood by the door, silent, watchful. He didn’t move, didn’t speak, but I could feel his presence anchoring me. Letting me have this moment.

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  The initial joy of seeing Naja awake was soon dampened by the reality of what had happened to her. She was weak, and her memories were scattered.

  “Do you remember anything?” I asked gently, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “About that night?”

  She exhaled slowly, her brows furrowing. “Some of it. Not everything. I remember…” Her breath hitched, a flicker of fear passing through her tired eyes. “Bright blue eyes. Staring at me. Cold. Empty. I felt… trapped. And then—nothing.”

  I swallowed hard, my grip on her hand tightening. It was him. The Cleansing.

  Kage, still standing in the background, stiffened at her words. Our eyes met briefly, the unspoken understanding between us clear. He hesitated for a moment before stepping further into the room, his usual quiet confidence surrounding him like a shield.

  Naja’s gaze shifted to him, her brow furrowing slightly before she glanced at me, questioning. I opened my mouth to introduce him, but for a moment, I faltered. What was he to me? My partner in the investigation? My bodyguard? Something more?

  “This is Kage,” I finally said, the word partner settling naturally on my tongue. “He’s been helping me. We’ve been working together.”

  Kage gave a small nod, his dark eyes steady as he met Naja’s curious gaze. “It’s good to meet you.”

  Then, her smirk widened just slightly, and she tilted her head at him. “Wait a second…” Her tired eyes flickered with recognition as she looked between us. “Are you the handsome magical officer who pulled her into the shadows that night?”

  Kage’s lips curled into a grin, his dark eyes flickering with amusement as he stepped further into the room. “That was me.”

  I flushed instantly, my face heating as Naja’s gaze darted between us, her smirk widening. “Ohhh. I see now.”

  She turned her full attention to Kage, her curiosity evident despite the exhaustion in her features. “So, Kage, how long have you been trying to keep Zara from throwing herself into danger? Because I imagine that’s a full-time job.”

  Kage chuckled, his dark eyes flicking to me with amusement. “Feels like it sometimes. She’s relentless.”

  Naja nodded sagely. “Yeah, that tracks. Zara’s never been great at self-preservation. I’ve had to drag her out of trouble more times than I can count.”

  “I believe that,” Kage said, smirking. “She’s stubborn.”

  “Oh, you have no idea,” Naja teased, squeezing my hand. “But you seem to be keeping up. That’s impressive.”

  I groaned, covering my face. “Can you not? I just got you back and you’re already embarrassing me.”

  Naja laughed weakly, then looked back at Kage. “Seriously, though. Thank you. For being there for her. She might act tough, but she needs people. Even if she won’t admit it.”

  Kage’s expression softened as he met my gaze. “Yeah. I know.”

  Before Naja could tease me further, I cleared my throat, steering the conversation back. “Naja, have you ever seen the man before?”

  Naja closed her eyes for a moment, then whispered, “I know I’ve seen him before. Maybe as a patient… or with someone. I just—can’t place it.”

  Kage stepped closer, his voice low but steady. “Think, Naja. You said you might have seen him before. Was it in the hospital? Did he seem like a patient, or someone visiting?”

  Naja’s brows furrowed as she struggled to grasp the fragmented memories. “I… I think he was standing in the hallway outside one of the patient rooms. It wasn’t just once either—I remember seeing him a few times before the attack. He was always watching. And…”

  She trailed off, her silver-glowing hands tightening slightly against the blanket as her gaze grew distant. “I don’t know why, but I feel like it was a bad day. A really bad day. There was so much pain—so much grief in that hallway. But I can’t remember why.”

  I exchanged a glance with Kage, who frowned. “You mean like an emergency? A major accident?”

  Naja shook her head. “Not an accident. A loss. A deep loss. He was grieving. Or someone close to him was. I think… I think I was there. Trying to help. But I couldn’t.”

  My stomach twisted. “You mean he was a visitor? Someone who lost someone in the hospital?”

  She closed her eyes, frustration flickering across her face. “Maybe. I just—it’s like the memory is right there, but I can’t reach it. But I know I’ve seen him before. I know that much.”

  Kage exhaled sharply, his jaw tightening. “If he was grieving, if he lost someone because of a magical…”

  My breath caught. “That could be his motive for killing other magicals.”

  A chill ran down my spine. “Did he ever speak to you? Did you hear his voice?”

  She hesitated, then shook her head weakly. “No… but I felt something off about him. Like he didn’t belong there.”

  Kage exchanged a look with me, his jaw tightening. “That means he’s been inside the hospital before. He’s comfortable there. He might even be connected to it.”

  I turned back to Naja. “Do you remember what he was wearing? Anything distinct?”

  She closed her eyes as if trying to pull the image from the fog in her mind. “Dark clothing, nothing fancy. But his hands… I think he wore gloves. Even inside. That was strange, wasn’t it?”

  Kage nodded grimly. “Yeah. It is.”

  I squeezed Naja’s hand. “You’ve already helped more than you know. We’re going to find him. And we’re going to stop him.”

  Kage exhaled sharply, his expression unreadable. But I knew what he was thinking. We had a lead. And we weren’t going to waste it.”

  I cupped her cheek gently. “We’ll figure it out together. I promise.”

  Kage’s POV

  The hallway was quiet. Dim lighting flickered above me, casting long shadows against the sterile white walls. The air smelled like disinfectant and coffee gone stale.

  I exhaled slowly, leaning back against the cool wall, my arms crossed over my chest. The weight of everything pressed against me—the chase, the near-miss with The Cleansing, Naja barely making it back. Zara almost losing her.

  Zara.

  I ran a hand down my face, closing my eyes for a moment. Last night. Her touch, the way she had unraveled me, the way she had seen me in a way no one else ever had. It had been real, undeniable, but now? Now, there was reality to contend with.

  The sound of footsteps pulled me from my thoughts. I opened my eyes to find Zara standing there, just a few feet away, watching me carefully.

  “You disappeared,” she said softly.

  I shrugged, looking away. “Just needed some air.”

  She stepped closer, her arms crossing as she mirrored my stance against the wall. “You’ve been quiet.”

  I sighed, shaking my head. “A lot to think about.”

  “Yeah,” she murmured, and for a while, we just stood there in silence.

  Finally, she broke it. “About last night—”

  I looked at her then, really looked at her. Her green eyes, still tired but searching, filled with something I didn’t want to name because if I did, it would make it real.

  “I don’t regret it,” I said, my voice low, steady. “But… I am afraid of what it means. What it could cost us.”

  She swallowed, nodding slightly. “I get it. But Kage, after almost losing Naja, I—I don’t want to think about losing you too.”

  I reached for her before I even realized I was moving, my fingers brushing against hers. A small touch, but grounding.

  “I don’t have all the answers,” I admitted. “But I know one thing—I’m here. For you.”

  She squeezed my hand lightly. “For now, that’s enough.”

  We stood there, just holding onto the moment, because for now, we had each other.

  After a few quiet beats, I exhaled and straightened. “We need to go through the hospital records,” I said, my voice more focused now. “We should look for any incidents involving magicals—specifically, any magical attacks or accidents that resulted in the death of humans.”

  Zara blinked, her brows furrowing slightly. “You think he lost someone in one of those incidents?”

  “Naja said she remembered grief. Loss. If he was grieving someone taken by magic, that could be his motive,” I explained. “It would explain why he’s targeting magicals now. If we can find the incident that set him on this path, we might be able to find him.”

  She nodded slowly, her expression shifting into something more determined. “Alright. We can access the records, but it might take time to filter through everything.”

  I squeezed her hand lightly before letting go. “Then we better get started.”