Aeliana exhaled, her fingers absently tightening against her knees.
Her mother's words drifted through her mind once again.
"My daughter… one day, you will meet someone who will be the sole reason for you to live… Never let go of that person."
And she knew.
It was him.
Lucavion.
The way he had stood in front of her. The way he hadn't backed down. The way he had fought, even when his body was barely holding together.
Even now, she could see it.
His injuries.
Some of them had healed, but not completely. There were patches of torn skin, faint remnants of gashes that had been deep enough to cut to the bone. His breathing was steady, but every now and then, it hitched—just slightly, just enough to tell her that his body was still recovering.
And back then—
Back when he had fought the Kraken—
He had been in far worse shape.
Aeliana clenched her jaw.
She knew.
