Aurelian Vale;
Against instructions given earlier, I pull the IV syringe out of me and pull myself off the bed.
I've been sitting in one spot for so long… any longer, and I'd start believing I've finally been dumped at a mental institution.
I leave my room quietly, shutting the door behind me with more care than necessary. The corridor has that infuriating brightness hospitals have, almost like they intend to see every germ with their naked eyes.
I move slowly, listening for footsteps, for voices, for anything that might tell me where Zane is, but I hear nothing.
He's probably in his room.
I walk in that direction, and when I get there, I find that his door is open.
That adds hesitance to my steps.
Zane does not leave doors open. Not here. Not anywhere.
It's a habit that was drilled into him over years of being the one who stays alert when everyone else can't afford to.
I know because I've been with and watched him work for years, so… what could be different now?
