Daniel stepped forward.
“You can,” he said.
Not conditional.
Statement.
Leo looked at him.
Evaluating.
“Why?” he asked.
Direct.
Daniel answered without delay.
“Because she needs you.”
No other justification.
Leo looked at Emily.
She held his sleeve.
Not letting go.
That answered the question.
He stayed.
But the situation had changed.
Daniel now knew:
Leo was not just surviving.
He was connected to something outside.
And that something…
Had already started reacting.
That night, security increased.
Not visible.
Controlled.
Cameras adjusted.
Perimeter reinforced.
