Elias smiled back and nodded. He wished that he had met Adelaide too. They had lived two different lives, and he wanted to know more about hers.
They very easily could've been switched. She could've lived his life, and he could've gone through boarding school. It shocked him how different his life could've been.
"It sounds like she was," he replied warmly.
Melina's smile then faded.
"She didn't deserve to die. Alaric was trying to hurt me, and he succeeded. I don't want him to keep hurting me. I can't lose anyone else," she sighed as she looked down at the ground.
Elias placed his hand on the back of her shoulder, rubbing gently to comfort her. He understood where she was coming from.
He didn't want to lose anyone either. That was a pain that he wasn't sure if he could deal with.
"He won't hurt you like that again. We're all going to take care of each other," he promised her. He didn't want her to worry too much.
