When Nicolai noticed the delicate tears falling down Ari's cheeks, the anger that he had been carrying in his heart throughout the entire morning slowly withered.
He sighed and reached out before pulling Ari into his arms. He hid her from the world that had been nothing but cruel to her, while murmuring, "It's alright. You are fine."
The spell of winding emotions of fear and terror that had been hovering over Ari before, seeping into her very bones, broke the second Nicolai hugged her. Her fingers dug into the fabric of his shirt as she continued to cry.
Since the very minute she woke up and found that she had been captured by someone whom she believed to be her very own sister, Ari felt terrified and helpless. She couldn't stop crying, and soon she was sobbing. She clutched the fabric of Nicolai's shirt, causing wet patches to appear on the fabric.
And Nicolai held her, pulling her into his lap as he rocked her back and forth.
