Jaeson remained by the gates gently comforting Callista until she was ready to stand and make her way back to the workshop.

"Callista, you and Aether did good..." he said, ignoring his own wounds that had stopped bleeding for the moment as they walked. "Don't lose sight of that. You took a step to facing your fears... and when it mattered, you stepped up and aided all of us. And the losses... yeah... the two wardens who died have earned their rest... but if not for all of us, they would have been higher."

"I'm just sorry I wasn't there to help".

Callista’s fingers clutched weakly at Jaeson’s coat, her breath shuddering between the last of her broken sobs. She was empty—drained of everything but exhaustion, her body aching in places she hadn’t even realized had been hurt. The fury had burned out. The fear had settled into something heavy, something thick and suffocating in her chest.

Her voice was small, fragile, barely above a whisper. “Take me home.”

She didn’t lift her head. Didn’t try to wipe the tears from her face. She just pressed herself against him, as if his presence alone could keep the nightmares at bay for a little while longer. Aether whirred beside them, its lens flickering between Jaeson and Callista, the little automaton visibly hesitant—like it didn’t know how to fix what had been broken.

There was nothing to fix. Not yet.

“I just… I just want to go home,” she whispered again, and for once, there was no fire in her voice. No clever retort. No sharp-edged bravado. Just the raw, aching plea of someone who had nothing left to give.

Jaeson says nothing, he just nods and walks her back to the workshop, knowing that some battles can only be fought alone. He walks steadily, calmly, keeping himself going as well, then gently opens the door to her workshop.

"Did you want me to stay a while?" His voice is cautious, hesitant almost.

"No, not tonight..." Callista didn't look up at Jaeson as she began to open the door. "I just need some time alone for a little while."

"Alright... well... we have a spare couch in the apartment if you want it... not that you can afford to be away from the core right now... but... the offer is there."

There is concern in his voice and on his face as he watches her enter the workshop... then once the door closes, he heads home to rest and recover.