The days that followed blurred together.

Kyro buried himself in the GreenSpark project with relentless focus. He analyzed financials, dug through patents, and studied market projections until the numbers swam in front of his eyes. He stayed late almost every night, driven by equal parts ambition and exhaustion.

Noah kept his distance.

He stopped by Kyro’s desk often—asking sharp questions, offering quick feedback—but everything was professional. Polite. Controlled. The warmth of their late-night Pad See Ew felt like a memory Kyro had invented.

He corrected himself whenever he slipped:
He’s your mentor. This is your future.

One afternoon, Julian called him into his office.

“Mr. Sinclair wants a preliminary GreenSpark presentation by end of day,” Julian said. “He’s meeting an investor tomorrow. Can you handle it?”

Kyro swallowed. “Yes.”

He spent the entire afternoon building the deck. Slides. Data. Risk models. Market projections. By the time dusk settled over the city, his eyes ached—but the presentation was solid.

He attached it to an email to Julian… and Noah.

Just as he hit send, Noah stepped out of his office.

“Still here, Kyro?”

Kyro straightened. “Just finished the GreenSpark preliminary. I sent it to you and Julian.”

Noah nodded. “Good work.”

He paused, studying Kyro with something quieter in his eyes.

“You’ve been putting in long hours,” Noah said. “Are you getting any sleep at all?”

Kyro hesitated. “I’m managing.”

Noah smiled faintly. “That drive… it reminds me of myself when I started Catalyst.”

The moment felt almost personal.

Almost.