The cave was damp and cold, but it was shelter. After the inferno of the bunker, after the chaos of battle, after everything, it felt almost luxurious. Chad's men had done well—finding this place, securing it, making it livable in the hours since the fight.
Derek was already asleep, his body finally surrendering to the exhaustion that came after godhood. Leo lay nearby, his breathing deep and regular, the biopolymer filaments under his skin finally dark and still.
Maya and Jordan sat together against one wall, not quite touching but close enough that their shoulders almost brushed. They didn't speak—didn't need to. The Omega was quiet, Jordan's calculations were still, and for once, they simply existed in the same space without the weight of survival pressing down.
Lily sat with Eva near the cave entrance, the younger girl curled against her sister's side, her eyes half-closed. She was safe. She was home. That was enough.
And in the corner, Wolfen sat beside Theo, watching the young guard pretend he wasn't staring at Lily every few seconds.
It was adorable. And Wolfen, being Wolfen, couldn't let it slide.
"Hey, Theo." His voice was low, casual, the kind of tone that preceded terrible advice. "I've noticed you looking at Lily a lot."
Theo's face went red instantly. "I—what? No, I wasn't—I mean, I was just—"
Wolfen's grin widened. "If you want, I can help you seal the deal."
"The deal?" Theo's voice cracked embarrassingly. "There's no deal! It's not like that! She's just—she's nice, and she's been through a lot, and I just want to make sure she's okay, that's all!"
"Uh-huh." Wolfen's tone dripped with skepticism. "Sure. That's why you've looked at her exactly forty-seven times in the last hour."
Theo sputtered. "You were counting?!"
"I'm old. I get bored." Wolfen leaned closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Here's what you do. Go over there, look her in the eyes, and say: 'You're a nine, and I'm the one you're looking for.'"
Theo stared at him. "What."
"It's a classic. Works every time."
"That's the worst pickup line I've ever heard."
"Exactly. It's so bad it's good. She'll laugh, you'll laugh, and then you're talking. Trust me." Wolfen clapped him on the shoulder. "I've been alive a long time. I know things."
Theo's face was the color of a ripe tomato. "I—I can't just—she's right there—her sister is right there—"
"Eva's not scary."
"She threw purple fire at a Superior Architect!"
"Okay, fair point. But she's also a big softie when it comes to Lily. If you make Lily happy, Eva will love you forever." Wolfen stood, brushing dust from his clothes. "Now stay here. I'm going to create an opportunity."
"What? No—Wolfen, don't—"
But Wolfen was already walking toward Eva.
"Oy, Eva. Come with me for a minute."
Eva looked up, surprised. Lily shifted, blinking sleepily.
"What do you want to talk about?"
"Just wait ten minutes. Okay?"
Eva's eyes narrowed. "Why?"
"You'll see." Wolfen's smile was infuriatingly mysterious. "Come on."
He headed for the cave entrance, and after a moment's hesitation, Eva followed. Lily watched them go, then settled back against the wall, her eyes drifting closed.
Theo, alone in his corner, stared at the space where Wolfen had been with a mixture of horror and desperate, pathetic hope.
---
Outside the cave, the night air was cool and clean. The fire from the bunker was just a glow on the horizon now, a distant reminder of what they'd survived.
Eva crossed her arms, facing Wolfen. "Okay. We're outside. What's this about?"
Wolfen leaned against a rock, adopting a pose of casual disinterest. "Just wait ten minutes."
"You said that already."
"And I meant it. Ten minutes. Then we go back in."
Eva stared at him. "You dragged me out here to... wait?"
"Basically."
"This is about Theo and Lily, isn't it?"
Wolfen's expression didn't change, but something flickered in his golden eyes. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Wolfen."
"They're young. The world is ending. Let them have a moment." He shrugged. "Or don't. I'm not your dad."
Eva was quiet for a long moment. Then, slowly, a smile tugged at her lips.
"You're a terrible matchmaker."
"I'm an excellent matchmaker. You'll see."
They stood in silence, watching the distant glow, waiting for ten minutes to pass.
---
When they returned to the cave, the scene had transformed.
Theo and Lily were sitting together near the fire Chad's men had built. They were talking—actually talking, their heads close together, both of them blushing furiously but smiling. Lily laughed at something Theo said, the sound bright and genuine in the quiet space.
Eva stopped in the entrance, her eyes wide.
Wolfen walked past her, a satisfied smirk on his face.
"Oy, Theo." He ruffled the young man's hair as he passed. "My boy."
Theo's blush deepened to a shade previously unknown to humanity. Lily hid her face in her hands, but she was still laughing.
Eva stood frozen, watching her sister laugh with a boy who looked at her like she was the only person in the world.
She turned to Wolfen. "What did you do?"
"Me?" Wolfen's expression was the picture of innocence. "Nothing. I just... created an opportunity."
"You're impossible."
"Probably." He settled back into his corner, golden eyes gleaming. "But look at them. Worth it, right?"
Eva looked back at Lily and Theo. At her sister's smile. At the lightness in her shoulders that hadn't been there before.
"Yeah," she said softly. "Worth it."
Wolfen's smile widened. "Told you."
In the corner, Maya glanced at Jordan, then away. Jordan's eyes, for once, weren't calculating anything. They were just... watching.
The cave was quiet, warm, full of people who had somehow become family.
And for one perfect moment, that was enough.