Morning Sanctuary

Darkness lingered in Bianca’s eyes for a moment longer before it slowly faded.

When she spoke again, the steel was gone, replaced by the quiet warmth only a mother could carry.

Her expression softened, and her thumb brushed once over his sleeve before she let him go.

“You’ve always been relentless, Kaelen,” she said softly. “Even as a boy, when one way failed, you never saw it as the end—only a