“This first sequence was successful,” Dr. Patel said quietly, closing the chart with a soft snap that sounded too loud in the hushed room. He looked up at Kieran and Genesis, who stood side by side at the foot of Donald’s bed. “Vitals are stable. Pain managed. No immediate complications.”

The private treatment room, once a suite, now a fortress of blinking monitors, IV poles, and softly humming machines felt smaller than it had a week ago. Or maybe that was just the weight of everything that had happened since.

Donald lay propped against crisp white pillows, skin still pale but no longer translucent. The sharp edges of his cheekbones...