Tim didn’t want to sleep. He was already on his third cup of coffee tonight.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡucemo41sQH
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.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJMaebGVA6n
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.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Ahu7pmRs3
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.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUMIYOXvcU6
Because the moment he stopped, he would start remembering.
He was doing everything he could to fill the silence.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmA5rokE1j3
Data analysis, checking the armory, organizing mission logs—any trivial task that could keep his mind from drifting to that scene.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVYkv41E2us
He told himself it was rational. Discipline. Necessary prep work.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqtw3ljhmqS
But he knew those were just excuses.
Because the moment he closed his eyes, the memory would return—68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6bbtUhVBMt
That moment, burned into his brain like a brand. Impossible to shake.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4jiTZkSARY
Nora, collapsing to the ground. And him, utterly powerless.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoztrug2gJO
That day, he still believed he was always prepared. Flawless.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZOAagnVoUG
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.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn6gjyErbSg
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.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdAssCAHUiK
How could something this absurd be so perfectly timed?68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLwUbUPWFWW
And yet, he believed.
Then came the message from the Federation’s Supreme Leader.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR0TZmOMmON
A sincere voice saying:68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6xUzxQgjlT
“Tim, don’t worry. Nora has gone back. It won’t be long.”68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM4mXjpfTeW
“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.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVjNC0mmJDm
He knew she would come back—68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB3I6qd9DEm
Logically, the evidence was there. She was still alive. Just “asleep.”68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTsD2F3lopg
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.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ74Irs5wF89
How could he be at peace?
He wasn’t.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ9cSRaRhH7
The closer he got to the edge of hope, the more terrified he became that it was all a mirage.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUJedRHbilr
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.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTZSMogberq
Too silent.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1mR6as9PFv
Like some perfect specimen. Lifeless, yet beautiful.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1skogfKrTR
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—68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhmIGtvWgj7
If I kissed her… would she wake up?68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwNUU0WWNiq
The idea was ridiculous. Stupid. But painfully real.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTTI2ylAUmB
He had actually bent closer.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPrB1YFZypW
And when he saw the frost on her eyelashes, it was like someone dumped a bucket of cold water over him.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCrHGWJVVzU
He pulled away.
He had never hated fairy tales so much.
Tim stared at a crime report, forcing himself to analyze.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZOkxcgwWrj
He yanked his focus back to reality. Cold data blinked on the screen.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ50HNeSNsGZ
He used logic like a shield—statements, evaluations, numbers—all to build a wall against memory and feeling.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgLT6GIxhKl
Just as he began typing his first tactical summary—
“Beep—”
A sudden sound.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRcERkIcWQL
Not an alarm. But not just background noise either.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSHzgIg68UC
He froze, tension snapping through him.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpGdhZRbZKr
In the stillness of the Batcave, any sound was jarring.
Tim turned, trying to locate the source.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡViboI8bDT7
He thought maybe someone left a communicator behind—68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBEkjRlbxH9
It wouldn’t be the first time. Jason’s. Damian’s. Even Barbara’s had gone off before.
But this sound...68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFkMvDw7NN7
68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgZguEyXU8A
He shot up instantly.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt5e1bntiOQ
Then stopped himself—68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ITQQ2x6lJ
Don’t get your hopes up.
His breath grew uneven.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ78DytuaHWm
Somewhere deep inside, a tiny ember flickered.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvFuSeWFThM
He clenched his fists, muttering to himself, “Calm down, Tim.”68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjnppfyUnHh
This wasn’t a miracle.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7lQyxxhwCu
Maybe it was just a malfunction.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaxt1NXQUL9
He forced the thought away. Don’t hope.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq3wfOGD7uh
Hope was dangerous. The crash of disappointment was unbearable.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhK740kUcov
It had happened too many times. One more might shatter him completely.
Gritting his teeth, he turned and walked toward the sound.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWiQOe6yCSL
Tim headed toward the corner he often visited—where he sometimes just… sat.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnRtHH1g9nJ
His footsteps echoed faintly.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3s1IqmRu2A
He didn’t dare run. Running meant expectation.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvEKjoob4lh
And expectation was a trap.
That was where the cryo-chamber was.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLSg7LfaP9t
Each step felt like he was walking over memories.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTR8NJWNibo
He knew this place too well.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNV9fMe9TXl
He had kept watch here, spent nights here, even nodded off against the wall.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh1vQKGXMvF
This room was like an altar.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLnV7WqgnWN
And he was its only mourner.
He stepped in.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjYtfry6qNZ
And immediately sensed something was different.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSkZJh5lzua
Something in the air had shifted.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtL71MxOzea
Like still water suddenly rippled.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS1YrDDY4Li
Only he would notice.
The monitors connected to Nora’s vitals had changed.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxjwDNYiegH
He held his breath.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRdeXLDkTyA
Eyes darting to the screen.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRPyI8hhUiZ
He didn’t dare blink.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvri9VZACAW
Not even for 0.1 seconds.
There it was.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjSNsUlB3tx
Heart rate. Pulse.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRo4fKMPXSH
Slow.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoNvjg9xzE3
Faint.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsSH12PTZvF
But real.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj3mfqDfLZq
Not a glitch.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKh2TsTtcAE
Not a playback.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuAJ3R8nVy7
New.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkvYtmvj2yb
Alive.
The machine began to beep—68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlrhDL8rRdc
Beep, beep, beep—68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4D5yTU0c53
Following the rhythm of her pulse.
In the silence of night, it was the only sound.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYHhpv2Y4pf
Tim stood frozen.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuNsw4LDpna
His whole body tense.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSQJi0ISTfQ
Lips trembling.
For the first time—he thought that sound was beautiful.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ38mHFteqzQ
68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs7Rw0WtpqJ
It was hope.68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1BelwrCFlE
It was her heartbeat.
68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm4AlTQwPKk
and then Add to home screen.