Years had passed, and Noah had changed profoundly. His features had sharpened, honed to a fine edge. He stood straight and tall in a custom-tailored black suit, a simple wooden-beaded bracelet circling one wrist. He radiated an aura of cold indifference that kept others at a natural distance, and he wore the mantle of power with an ease that only came from years of command. He was no longer the boy she could chase after, calling out "Noey." That
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