Saphirat beside Zation’s bed, her fingers absently tracing patterns against the fabric of her derve, lost in thought,

Her dragon was still. Present, but settled, watching–not restless, but attendise……

She had been here for a while now, keeping sigil, waiting for any sign of change, any sign that Zafira was stirring again.

Then–movement.

A slight switch in Zafina’s fingers

A fair shift in her breathing

Saphira sat up straighter, her pilve quickening.

Then–Zafira’s eyelids Buttered open

Her gaze was unfocused at first, darting around the rooms, searching–confimed

Saphira reacted instantly, leaning forward, voice soft bat fim.

“You’re okay,” she murmuredb, /boffering assuring smile, careful not to startle her. “You’re safe, just take it easy”

Zafira blinked, her expression tense, uncertainty threading through her features.

Then–she tried to move

Saphira was faster.

She ced a gentle bhand /bon bZafira’s /barm, grounding her before she could strain herself further.

“Easy,” she soothed. “You’ve been through a lot you need rest.”

Zafira’s hrows knit tog

together, frustration flickering through her eyes

Saphira hesitated, feeling the weight of what came nest

bShe /bwasn’t ready to tell Zafira the truth–not pet. Not when she had just woken up when everything bwas /bbalready /boverwhelming

So instead

“I’m Fina’s sister,” bshe /bbsaid/b, her tone casual but steady, her grip light but measuring

Zafira didn’t react immediately–just watched her, brows still furrowed, in the tension in her shoulders beas /b& slightly.

Saphira offered another mall smile. “I’ll call a doctor fo check on you alright?” ||

Zalima blinked once, then–slowly–nodded.

And then–deep within her mind, within her draggeb, /bshe felt it.

bA /bsubtle shift.

bNot /ba physical presence, not something she fould fully define–but

Het dragon was calming Zafira’s

Saphira didn’t understand how – but she felt it

A quiet, steadying hum in the back of her thoughts.

Net forceful.

Not demanding

Jest there.

And the strangest part?

Zafira rxed under it.

Asif–an some level–she felt it too

Saphira swallowed, pushing the thought

And that was what mattered. For now. For this

moment.

Saphira me from her seat, casting a quick nce at Zada before stepping toward the door. She hesitated for a fraction of a second–certain bwhethe /bleaving her side, even momentarily, was the right call–but she needed to get the doctor.

Slipping into the hallwayb, /bbshe /bcaught sight of a passing nurse and gged them down. “Could you send the doctor in? bZafira’s /bawake.

The nose nodded briskly, disappearing down the corridor.

Saphira returned to her seat, keeping her presence st

e steady beside bZafira /b

The doctor arrived quickly, moving with a controlled efficiency as he checked Zafira’s vital bagain/b. He pressed fingers lightly to her wrist, monitoring he pulse, then adjusted the monitors beside her bed.

“She’s doing good,” he reassured Saphic as he finished bhis /bassessment. “She just needs time to adjust, but everything looks as it should.“

Saphira exhaled slowly, nodding.

As the doctor stopped away, the door creaked open again, revealing Finn

The shift in bZafira /bwas instant

Her gaze snapped toward him–her expression flickering from hary confusion to something lighter. Her paturved, notpletely, but tough.

“Finn smiled, relief shing in his eyes as he strode toward her bedside, sitting down without hesitation

“bYou’ve /bhome,” he murmured, his voice carrying warmth, reassurance.

Zafira didn’t speak, but the way her shoulders eased, the way her eyes softened–she felt it

Tin reached for her hand, his grip gentle, grounding

Then, after a beat, he turned slightly toward Sagh, keeping his solo calm but clear

“This is Saphira,” he said, his tone deliberately simple, easing her into the moment, “She’s my sister—from my old pack ”

b‘/bspare flickered between then, brow knitting slightly.

“When you’re feeling better, I’ll exin everything.” Fin promised.

Zafira Minked, searching his face, and then–finally–gave the faintest not.

Saphira sat beside Zafira’s bed, her pre fickening between her and Finn as they helped her adjust, ning her into a memorable petion again the

Finn grabbed the ss of water from the bedside table, offering it carefully, steadying the cup as Zafira seached for it with wed dispers

*Slow,” he murmured, his voice carrying quiet asutatke.

Zafira obeyed, btaking /benall, mesured sips, her breathing still uneven but stronger than before,

Sephira watched closely, observing the way Zafira’s momments became slightly smoother, how her game sharpened with every passing second.

She was gaining strength

Bit by bit.

Finn set the cup down, watching his sister carefully, his eyes scanning her fare for any hint of response

“You’re bdoing /bgood,” he told her sally.

Zafira blinked, her expression unreadable but attentive.

Finn exhaled slowly, then leaned bforward /bslightly, his posture shifting as he spoke.

“I found my mate,” he admitted, his voice dipping with something personal–something bquiet/b.

Zafira’s brows twitched lightly, a flicker of curiosity posing through her features.

“When you’re better, I’ll introduce you,” Finn continued, his voire bwarm/b, carrying an unspoken promise that things would return to normal.

bZafira /bnodded in agreement, the tension in her shoulders easing slightly. A sitt, familiar smile palled at her lips–a small but important gesture.

Then–her expression shifted.

The warmth faded, reced by a look of thought that washed over her featuren as she nced around the room..

Something flickered in her eyes. A quiet panic.

She tried to speak

Her lips parted–but nothing came out

Saphira stiffened, immediately picking up on the frustration building inside Zat. The way her fingers curled slightly into the nket, the way her breath tumed uneven, her brows drawing together as she fought bagainst /bthe silence forced upon her.

Finn mirrored the concern, his hands twitching bat /bhis bsides/bb, /bunsure what to do–how to help.

Saphira inhaledb, /bthinking quickly. “Paper and pen?” she suggested.

Fan nodded once, sharply, before turning and disappearing into the hallway, moxing quickly to find something she old use

Saphira exhaled slowly, focusing bback /bbon /bZafra, Jeeping her presence calm despite the tension bthick /bin the bair/b.

Then-

Something bshifted /bin the back of her mind,

wasn’t led – it w?m‘) bushr

aphira blinked, bar spine shaightening alightly)

Saphics

She hadn’t imagineit

She knew the hadn’t imagined.

Her dugon stined faintly, a familiar hum pressing resinat ber

Saphira hesitated then askedbally. “Ar y looking for Anastasiar

Tafira’s are fickened to her, confesion fishing sempt her

cold tell she didn’t understand how the ins

“The other dingen, you were with,” the ndird gently

Then–Zafira nodded, the tension melting from her face, bry shoulders rxing as relief flooded through

?s safe,” Saphira assured her. “bAwake /bboo–just in another room with her son

Zafira let out a long, controlled breath, exhaling slowly, deliberately–like she was prie

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