Tim didn’t want to sleep. He was already on his third cup of coffee tonight.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU3rFtQc9tY
His movements were mechanical, void of emotion, as he brought the rim of the cup to his lips. The bitter liquid slid down his throat, bringing no sense of alertness—only a faint ache in his stomach. He knew this wasn’t helping, but he’d rather suffer stomach pain than close his eyes.
Batman had already finished his patrol. Everyone else had gone to rest.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9h8gNJKbNp
The Batcave felt like it had been swallowed by the night. Only the warning lights flickered occasionally, casting flashes of red into the dark. The computer screen glowed faint blue, illuminating Tim’s face in a pale hue. Somewhere upstairs, Alfred probably still had a lamp on—but that had nothing to do with him. At this moment, he was the only one awake.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT2lTPHtnOx
The only one sitting quietly in the cave, eyes fixed on the screen.
His gaze was focused. His fingers tapped the keyboard now and then, producing a steady rhythm. Lines of data and images flickered on the screen. He forced himself to keep reading. Don’t stop.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOEUt5IjXoR
Because the moment he stopped, he would start remembering.
He was doing everything he could to fill the silence.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6GoPaNulqi
Data analysis, checking the armory, organizing mission logs—any trivial task that could keep his mind from drifting to that scene.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFfiCGWuY4L
He told himself it was rational. Discipline. Necessary prep work.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpKBpWeaDqk
But he knew those were just excuses.
Because the moment he closed his eyes, the memory would return—103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsYXlMQPegh
That moment, burned into his brain like a brand. Impossible to shake.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAJ2uK7TGiT
Nora, collapsing to the ground. And him, utterly powerless.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3HO5BQ8Uf1
That day, he still believed he was always prepared. Flawless.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6slnDQI1uE
And yet, he couldn’t even save the one person who mattered most.
He once thought himself the calmest among them. Now, he couldn’t even finish blaming himself.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjXvHm77hXi
Even after receiving the gift meant for Damian—sent from ten thousand years ago—a relic from a long-lost civilization, like time itself was mocking him, delivering hope from the ancient past... and all he could do now was wait.
Tim had been shocked. And suspicious.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeEnV9lUk1n
How could something this absurd be so perfectly timed?103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx02yyGY973
And yet, he believed.
Then came the message from the Federation’s Supreme Leader.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMA5wZFx8B6
A sincere voice saying:103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0kUqiQmDfV
“Tim, don’t worry. Nora has gone back. It won’t be long.”103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhiSY3TvKVo
“She won’t end here.”
But Tim couldn’t fully trust it. He no longer dared to believe. Belief was fragile. It shattered too easily.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2LbBuPF7tA
He knew she would come back—103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGjLT28GaUq
Logically, the evidence was there. She was still alive. Just “asleep.”103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCmA6frD4SQ
But emotionally, he was still trapped in that moment—trapped in the image of her falling.
She hadn’t come back yet. She hadn’t spoken. She hadn’t opened her eyes.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNDTtDiPijn
How could he be at peace?
He wasn’t.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW3hy2iGaDb
The closer he got to the edge of hope, the more terrified he became that it was all a mirage.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYhl5Drk9l1
He didn’t know whether he was waiting for her to wake up—or for himself to fall apart.
She still lay in the cryo-chamber. A sleeping beauty.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTEaanTuPBY
Too silent.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡny8hwesFKh
Like some perfect specimen. Lifeless, yet beautiful.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwKvpYgHH49
He hated himself for the thought—but he couldn’t deny that, in one brief moment, he’d imagined how she might look if she opened her eyes.
He had even leaned down once, staring at her—103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLPZ3RKAt2N
If I kissed her… would she wake up?103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu2LoWNbRnh
The idea was ridiculous. Stupid. But painfully real.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfgLJfUA3uR
He had actually bent closer.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNE7ptmtwAB
And when he saw the frost on her eyelashes, it was like someone dumped a bucket of cold water over him.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh5V445np5O
He pulled away.
He had never hated fairy tales so much.
Tim stared at a crime report, forcing himself to analyze.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9lIZ2fAsk3
He yanked his focus back to reality. Cold data blinked on the screen.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG2PrSKsR1e
He used logic like a shield—statements, evaluations, numbers—all to build a wall against memory and feeling.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYDo6ly3Xao
Just as he began typing his first tactical summary—
“Beep—”
A sudden sound.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhT6bCBbphr
Not an alarm. But not just background noise either.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqDyqxjp5GP
He froze, tension snapping through him.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0i26OqqgSc
In the stillness of the Batcave, any sound was jarring.
Tim turned, trying to locate the source.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡExx9t0QWTo
He thought maybe someone left a communicator behind—103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC0lXu3jSqq
It wouldn’t be the first time. Jason’s. Damian’s. Even Barbara’s had gone off before.
But this sound...103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR33vGwqSS6
103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxnWoRxbYgw
He shot up instantly.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0hnJ1yvQbt
Then stopped himself—103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡutV3V3UDYT
Don’t get your hopes up.
His breath grew uneven.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu7nnavVm3m
Somewhere deep inside, a tiny ember flickered.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN02Dq1haps
He clenched his fists, muttering to himself, “Calm down, Tim.”103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6LGyxYWJDn
This wasn’t a miracle.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVkZR0pu7ed
Maybe it was just a malfunction.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡft4PljwvyU
He forced the thought away. Don’t hope.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDwJMTAMps9
Hope was dangerous. The crash of disappointment was unbearable.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwBT4WLVGQv
It had happened too many times. One more might shatter him completely.
Gritting his teeth, he turned and walked toward the sound.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyUCWkMI2J7
Tim headed toward the corner he often visited—where he sometimes just… sat.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBCWpGV8ZV0
His footsteps echoed faintly.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiAxZ21Pbvg
He didn’t dare run. Running meant expectation.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXgDUd0mxFz
And expectation was a trap.
That was where the cryo-chamber was.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDGWXxjBTQw
Each step felt like he was walking over memories.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2zjDf6pUDH
He knew this place too well.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp2s4PzuR4V
He had kept watch here, spent nights here, even nodded off against the wall.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy1jSjbVPT2
This room was like an altar.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZQ7BoDDIxV
And he was its only mourner.
He stepped in.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8uUykQLUAZ
And immediately sensed something was different.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNe2jvlzRBq
Something in the air had shifted.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTKYhYvKwgG
Like still water suddenly rippled.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqrVjH6zQNr
Only he would notice.
The monitors connected to Nora’s vitals had changed.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNQmRwcUMKf
He held his breath.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQxNWIwxkdp
Eyes darting to the screen.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5EICYJm9Y6
He didn’t dare blink.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbmH8vxc9Gj
Not even for 0.1 seconds.
There it was.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ07l6dpu1PG
Heart rate. Pulse.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt3QuyEMqjX
Slow.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTHIlaGkktK
Faint.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnBeN8VQKfv
But real.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXiIBalk95g
Not a glitch.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZfZJmkuMyr
Not a playback.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH1BYvfyowe
New.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjlcBltOxXJ
Alive.
The machine began to beep—103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9a6d62AKDy
Beep, beep, beep—103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdMSEMEmBH5
Following the rhythm of her pulse.
In the silence of night, it was the only sound.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh88KTrMLhB
Tim stood frozen.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBKyRuwModa
His whole body tense.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzbgu1mnYnq
Lips trembling.
For the first time—he thought that sound was beautiful.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpUWWScbZhh
103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYOQMMM3z3R
It was hope.103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡneDtoRNlrv
It was her heartbeat.
103Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡisSIwHOVCM
and then Add to home screen.