The chaos of battle still echoed in my ears as I held Lydia close, her body limp with exhaustion in my arms. It was a few minutes after our daring escape from Zeke's castle, a place that had held us both captive in different ways. Now, as we stood outside, the cool night air wrapped around us like a comforting embrace.
Lydia and I had never been close. In fact, our relationship had been characterized by animosity and resentment. But in the face of danger, those feelings had begun to shift, morphing into something far more complicated.
I glanced down at Lydia, her face serene in sleep, and felt a pang of something unfamiliar stirring within me. It was a sense of protectiveness, a desire to keep her safe from harm.
