Ava's chest heaved as the blinding flash of light swallowed her, ripping her from the Abyss. Her body convulsed in the wake of its release. She gasped, her senses overwhelmed by the sudden rush of air, the warmth of sunlight, the solid ground beneath her feet—a stark contrast to the suffocating void she had just escaped. But the release was not relief. It was pain. Her knees buckled as she staggered forward, only for strong arms to catch her, pulling her into an embrace that was both familiar and foreign.
"Leo…" Her voice cracked, barely above a whisper, her body limp against his. His touch, firm yet trembling, was the anchor she had been reaching for. She collapsed into him, too exhausted to fight, too weary to care about how she appeared—broken, fragile, a shadow of the woman who had once stood by his side. His arms tightened around her, a protective cocoon in a world that felt too bright, too alive for her now.
