She slowly rose from where she sat, her body stiff from the cold and the lingering exhaustion. A new variable had been introduced, and I had no idea how to handle it. Ok XXX The stillness felt heavy, pressing against his senses, as if the world itself were holding its breath. As they stepped outside, Ava realized the scene had transformed. I instinctively reached down to the floor and pulled up a thick comforter, the softness of the fabric feeling almost surreal in the stillness of the room. The two collapsed into the snow, the weight of exhaustion and ice pressing down on them like an unrelenting hand. She never spoke, of course, nor did she descend from her perch except on rare occasions, and even then, her movements were deliberate and soundless, like a
