Page 313 of Reaper Said Mine

Then Dawson nods once.

Slowly.

Sadly.

Almost respectfully.

"I suppose I should have."

Something loosens inside me. A final thread snaps. Not hatred. Not anger. Something quieter than either of those.

Acceptance.

Some relationships simply reach their end.

Dawson looks around the room one last time, taking in the evidence, the journalists, the analysts, and finally me.

Then he exhales.

"You're making powerful enemies."

I smile.

"So are they."

Every trace of performance disappears from his face. No mentor. No strategist. No persuasion. Just a tired man confronting a decision he can no longer influence.

"Goodbye, Ursa."

The words settle heavily between us. They aren't dramatic. They don't need to be.

They're final.

I nod.

"Goodbye, Dawson."

Then he leaves.

There are no threats, no shouting, and no dramatic confrontation. The door closes behind him with a quiet hiss, and somehow that feels more significant than any argument could have. Some endings arrive with explosions. Others arrive with silence.

The room remains quiet for several seconds.

Finally Rana exhales.

"Well."

"Well."

"That was awkward."

"A little."

She points toward the door.

"You okay?"

I look at the closed entrance where years of trust just walked away. My chest aches. Not as much as I expected, but more than I'd like.