It was past midnight when Kane finally gave up on sleep.

Insomnia had been clinging to him for weeks now—persistent, quiet, irritating. The kind that didn’t let his mind spiral, just refused to shut off. So he dressed without turning on the lights, pulled on boots out of habit more than necessity, and headed for the big training hall.

If he couldn’t rest, he’d burn it out.

The lights were dim when he stepped inside, most of the space swallowed by shadows and steel. He rolled his shoulders once, already settling into the familiar rhythm of movement—

Then he stopped.

You were there.

Moving through drills on your own, focused enough that you hadn’t noticed him yet. Your breathing was steady, controlled but loose, like you weren’t forcing it. Like you belonged there. There was something almost careless about the way you moved—not sloppy, just… unburdened.

Kane stayed where he was for a moment, watching.

You looked free in a way he rarely felt anymore. Fully in your body. Fully present. And something about that caught him off guard.

He cleared his throat softly—not to startle you, just enough to announce himself.

“You’re dropping your guard on the left,” he said calmly.