Zara sat at the lab bench, her eyes scanning the words on the document in front of her, but nothing made sense. The letters blurred together, the sentences tangled in knots she couldn't untangle. She clenched her jaw, tapping her fingers against the cold metal surface.
Leo.
He was alone.
He was fine—he had to be fine. Their room was safer than out here. She had left him alone before, back when they were still running, when there was no other choice. But that was different. That was before they had found this place. Before she got used to keeping him close. Before she let herself think that having him near meant keeping him safe.
And yet, unease clawed at her chest.
A sharp exhale slipped from her lips.
Focus.
She flipped the page. Read a sentence. Lost track halfway through. A smudge of ink smeared beneath her fingers as she rubbed her thumb over the margin, trying to ground herself. It didn't work. The words swam again.
She ran a hand through her hair, exhaling sharply.
