•National Academy of Science, 1st Ward•
Ana
Ana wasn't sure what to do. It was her first time seeing Valerian come undone in front of her. He was always so polished, so picture-perfect. As if every action he did was carefully calculated. She didn't know what to expect as she saw him crying in her arms.
Ana held Valerian close as he allowed his tears to flow, his vulnerability laid bare in her embrace. It was a side of him she had never seen before, a crack in the facade of the picture-perfect persona he had always presented.
In that moment, she realized the depth of his pain and the courage it took for him to let his guard down. She didn't know what to expect, but she knew she had to be there for him, just as he had been there for her.
She could feel the tremors in his body, the weight of his unspoken pain. It was at this moment that she saw him not as a target, not as an enemy, not as a rival. But as a friend.
