Chapter 149

Violet’s POV

Recovery didn’t arrive the way I expected.

There were no sudden epiphanies, no clean lines dividing before and after. Healing crept in quietly, settling into corners of my life like dust that only revealed itself when the light shifted just right.

The mountain facility breathed again.

That was the first thing I noticed.

Not literally—though the generators’ low hum had softened, the constant vibration beneath the floors easing into something almost gentle—but emotionally. The air felt different. Lighter. Like a storm had finally broken and moved on, leaving behind damp earth and fragile blue sky.

I lay in bed, Amelia sleeping against my chest, watching the sunlight crawl slowly across the far wall. The medical wing smelled faintly of antiseptic and pine—an odd combination, but one I’d grown used to. My body ached in places I hadn’t yet learned to name, but the pain was honest. Real. Proof that I was still here.

Alive.

“You’re awake.”

Enzo’s voice was low, caref