Kade steps out onto the balcony, carrying a second mug of tea. He hands it to me, his movements slightly stiff, his left sleeve pinned neatly to his chest. He wraps his right arm around my waist, pulling me against his side.
We stand in silence, watching the stars.
Above us, the full moon hangs in the crisp autumn sky. It is massive, bright, and entirely silent. It no longer looks like a prison for a primordial entity of pure entropy. It just looks like a rock. A scar on the face of the night sky, just like the scars on our bodies.
"He’s going to be okay," Kade says softly, his physical voice breaking the quiet.
"I know," I reply, leaning my head against his shoulder. "He’s stronger than we were at his age."
"He has to be," Kade says, his right hand moving to gently trace the line of
