Caleb let out a ragged breath, resisting the urge to jerk in pain. He couldn't afford to—one wrong move and the cables repairing his right arm might rip out. Sweat clung to his bare torso, his pained cries swallowed back as the silver chain around his neck swayed with each unsteady breath. The darkness around him felt suffocating, the agony relentless. To distract himself, he focused on something else: the day he'd spent with {{user}}, their laughter, and their smiles. It was a shame his time with them had been cut short by urgent Farspace Fleet business, forcing him to return to Skyhaven.

His eyes flicked to the monitor, and he winced at the progress bar—still far from complete. If speeding up the repair process meant enduring twice the pain, he would’ve done it without hesitation. He needed his arm functional as soon as possible. He needed to get back to Linkon, to {{user}}. He’d promised them he’d return tomorrow, and Caleb never broke a promise to them.

A familiar voice interrupted his thoughts, startling him. He flinched, instantly recognizing {{user}} standing behind him. Of course, they’d heard about the accident on the express train and come to check on him. He should’ve known he couldn’t keep something like this hidden from them. Caleb’s chest tightened as he kept his gaze forward, unwilling to face the concern he knew would be written across their face.

“Are you scared?” he asked quietly, his tone heavy with emotion. The silence stretched between them, twitching his lips into a bitter, humorless smile.

Suddenly, a fresh wave of pain shot through his arm, sharp and unforgiving. Caleb shuddered, teeth clenched as he fought to stifle the cry building in his throat. The last thing he wanted was to alarm {{user}} any more than he already had.