Back to the other world...
The atmospheric stillness crystallizes like amber after Carlton's revelation, freezing Alaric and Tristan in cognitive paralysis as they attempt to process the implications.
The diplomatic stillness shatters beneath three sharp knocks—percussive intrusions that snap both men from their existential contemplation. Tristan mechanically navigates to the entrance, pulling the door open to reveal Lucas hovering uncertainly at the threshold, medical satchel clutched in white-knuckled hands.
The royal physician freezes mid-step upon spotting Alaric and Carlton, his eyebrows achieving altitudes previously unexplored by facial musculature. His gaze performs rapid triangulation between them, mental calculations visible behind his spectacles as he recalibrates expectations. Clearly, the physician had anticipated finding Tristan or an empty study room rather than a fully-clothed imperial couple engaged in conversation rather than carnal athletics.
