Kinship in Code

Roth blinked twice, exhaling sharply through his nose as he set the phone on the table. The movement was stiff, deliberate—like a soldier surrendering his sword. “Here,” he muttered, avoiding Lyra’s eyes.

Lyra hid her smile behind a sip of water before taking the phone. “Hey,” she said softly, voice cutting through the chaos like sunlight after a storm.

On screen, Kira was still fuming, but her