Tim didn’t want to sleep. He was already on his third cup of coffee tonight.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJCy8pRicVJ
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.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8gwWNapk4P
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.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSdrbjk72s2
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.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcGgB1DFLQn
Because the moment he stopped, he would start remembering.
He was doing everything he could to fill the silence.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlQzfeQtDlR
Data analysis, checking the armory, organizing mission logs—any trivial task that could keep his mind from drifting to that scene.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOSHaZDqqE5
He told himself it was rational. Discipline. Necessary prep work.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfGlkPvv3ZX
But he knew those were just excuses.
Because the moment he closed his eyes, the memory would return—104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPwOSndc8Iz
That moment, burned into his brain like a brand. Impossible to shake.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHpJ5p1c58K
Nora, collapsing to the ground. And him, utterly powerless.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtISMhcJZl1
That day, he still believed he was always prepared. Flawless.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8N9LTbYGqO
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.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxezzvmlmgh
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.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡljksNHukO0
How could something this absurd be so perfectly timed?104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkK8n49c4St
And yet, he believed.
Then came the message from the Federation’s Supreme Leader.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJRD3ymEZDQ
A sincere voice saying:104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaUkWujGWG0
“Tim, don’t worry. Nora has gone back. It won’t be long.”104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGANItZpYVk
“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.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSMAAm8a5da
He knew she would come back—104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2PI6Br4Vxj
Logically, the evidence was there. She was still alive. Just “asleep.”104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOnzSceKX7s
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.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO1GEkwPJfB
How could he be at peace?
He wasn’t.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbzq5BnrRkb
The closer he got to the edge of hope, the more terrified he became that it was all a mirage.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwVrX6UlhBj
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.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4T9CD0bqPQ
Too silent.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMGjKg2jAvM
Like some perfect specimen. Lifeless, yet beautiful.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe5W5dKPRFQ
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—104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6NvDOaPr0L
If I kissed her… would she wake up?104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9eawKQZZFj
The idea was ridiculous. Stupid. But painfully real.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0bbInZPOHs
He had actually bent closer.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ55jC9HhuQm
And when he saw the frost on her eyelashes, it was like someone dumped a bucket of cold water over him.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKqNpzvMhFt
He pulled away.
He had never hated fairy tales so much.
Tim stared at a crime report, forcing himself to analyze.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKH30uYkkCf
He yanked his focus back to reality. Cold data blinked on the screen.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwJT4ntQl2d
He used logic like a shield—statements, evaluations, numbers—all to build a wall against memory and feeling.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpdzIFlijJM
Just as he began typing his first tactical summary—
“Beep—”
A sudden sound.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJxicidVCmt
Not an alarm. But not just background noise either.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSAodFhCVBB
He froze, tension snapping through him.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXwwGsuH54H
In the stillness of the Batcave, any sound was jarring.
Tim turned, trying to locate the source.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmbR50ZRsWj
He thought maybe someone left a communicator behind—104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnjAoBnjPkF
It wouldn’t be the first time. Jason’s. Damian’s. Even Barbara’s had gone off before.
But this sound...104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGMY5OGlcxp
104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmGr4dVx5kC
He shot up instantly.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZlkpBf3jFr
Then stopped himself—104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGjnLK70j6j
Don’t get your hopes up.
His breath grew uneven.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM8XSJ67Lqp
Somewhere deep inside, a tiny ember flickered.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZsvS7KEOkr
He clenched his fists, muttering to himself, “Calm down, Tim.”104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlIbkWn7Yq4
This wasn’t a miracle.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE1Qy53UAaa
Maybe it was just a malfunction.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdb2ybiad1I
He forced the thought away. Don’t hope.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSpteZQogzR
Hope was dangerous. The crash of disappointment was unbearable.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLmHXQM1eYM
It had happened too many times. One more might shatter him completely.
Gritting his teeth, he turned and walked toward the sound.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUvL7hZmkK9
Tim headed toward the corner he often visited—where he sometimes just… sat.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHGOpMXVc1v
His footsteps echoed faintly.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXVCCEkWRuF
He didn’t dare run. Running meant expectation.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeZLtODnq0b
And expectation was a trap.
That was where the cryo-chamber was.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1MjnHHJvWH
Each step felt like he was walking over memories.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzsRQdCTtM5
He knew this place too well.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKCDnP9eACj
He had kept watch here, spent nights here, even nodded off against the wall.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkgBHJYP3ac
This room was like an altar.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBl0F1Xy5MT
And he was its only mourner.
He stepped in.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4LxMrV475e
And immediately sensed something was different.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7TJ0vOhshO
Something in the air had shifted.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmUC1CMD1Uo
Like still water suddenly rippled.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5rr6fa35xw
Only he would notice.
The monitors connected to Nora’s vitals had changed.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAeioXOdZ0X
He held his breath.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtidgmFXQDE
Eyes darting to the screen.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc1kcqEfwB2
He didn’t dare blink.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYUh5KGzY7I
Not even for 0.1 seconds.
There it was.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWpCktWNL3j
Heart rate. Pulse.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaj9kR833Hh
Slow.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfiwmGvWefR
Faint.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf2p88MqMoa
But real.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb2bg11P8C7
Not a glitch.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdisWCfBy3Q
Not a playback.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW2M10GGC8m
New.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaVOpOnyuxx
Alive.
The machine began to beep—104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7dn7OEo14Z
Beep, beep, beep—104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvhLhSUNbG5
Following the rhythm of her pulse.
In the silence of night, it was the only sound.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsvGR7fn0OM
Tim stood frozen.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5dLJNgT4FN
His whole body tense.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZt2xnAD4FQ
Lips trembling.
For the first time—he thought that sound was beautiful.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeKih1viDCR
104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA85XMwXsbx
It was hope.104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ08Y8Lk5UVr
It was her heartbeat.
104Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSYGy0sSOgL
and then Add to home screen.