As the sun's last rays faded into the evening, Emi gave Elias's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Be home for dinner," she murmured, a gentle reminder. Then she slipped away, leaving him and Dan alone by the riverbank.
Dan eased down on a flat rock beside Elias, stretching his legs out with a heavy sigh. For a while, neither spoke. The river moved on, dark and steady, as Dan's gaze settled on Elias, his eyes sharp but softened by concern.
"She's not doing well, is she?" Elias's voice barely rose above a whisper.
Dan's face softened, lines of exhaustion deepening. "Actually, Ava's hanging on better than we thought. We couldn't take her to the hospital because of Asmodeus's threat, but her body's holding up." He paused, running a hand through his hair. "Still, we don't know when she'll be back to herself. And Naomi…"
His words lingered, casting a shadow over them both. Elias looked away, his hands gripping the edge of the rock. Guilt thickened inside him, curling around his chest like a vice. "I... I'm really sorry," he murmured. "For running away. I just… I didn't know what else to do."
Dan's expression held firm, though his voice was gentle. "Listen, what happened with Ava—none of us saw that coming. And yeah, maybe you shouldn't have run, but I get it. You're carrying too much." He reached over, placing a small, folded paper crane on Elias's head. "But you know what? We all carry a piece of it anyway. Especially Naomi. She's taken it harder than anyone. So don't go hogging it all yourself; there's no point."
A frustrated sigh escaped Elias, some of it for the situation, most of it for himself. "She's been my friend for years," he said, his voice tight. "The thought of her hating me is…"
Dan studied him for a moment before responding. "She doesn't hate you, Elias. She's drained. Upset you left? Hell yeah. But she's just… exhausted. Seeing Ava like this, knowing what's at stake, trying to keep everything together—it's burned her out. She's lost her perspective."
Elias nodded, the truth sinking deeper than he wanted to admit. "Damn it…"
Dan reached into Elias's pocket and pulled out his phone. "Naomi's so wound up she didn't think of something as simple as this." He held out the device. "Lucius has been contacting you through this, right? So all we need is to set a meeting with him. Simple, but Naomi's so tangled up in everything, it didn't cross her mind."
Elias took the phone, a faint chuckle escaping him. "So that's why you came to see me?"
Dan smiled. "Partly, yeah. But mostly to ask you to come back. We need you, Elias. Ava most of all."
Elias looked down at the phone, its dark screen reflecting fragments of his face. A part of him wanted to return, to try to fix things with Dan, Naomi, and Ava. But another part—the part that remembered Victor's steady gaze and hard, unyielding lessons—felt something else.
"No," Elias said quietly, setting the phone beside him. "Not yet."
Dan blinked, caught off guard. "Not yet? Elias, come on. Ava's—"
"I know," Elias interrupted, his voice firmer than he felt. "Believe me, I know. But right now, I need to be here." He met Dan's gaze, his eyes steely with newfound resolve. "Victor's been teaching me more than just fighting. It's… about control. If I go back now, I'll just be a liability."
Dan's expression shifted, a glimmer of understanding flickering in his eyes. "So you think staying here is the answer? Training under Victor?"
"I don't think," Elias said, his voice steady. "I know. I need to be stronger—for Ava, for all of us. But I also need control. Otherwise…"
Dan sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he glanced out over the river. "Alright," he said quietly. "If you think this is what's best, then… I'll support you. Just don't take too long, okay?"
Elias managed a faint smile, nodding. "I won't."
After their goodbyes, Dan walked away, leaving Elias by the river. For a while, Elias sat in silence, letting the quiet sounds of the river fill the space around him. Something shifted within—a fragile, determined peace.
He wasn't ready to go back. Not yet. But he was on his way.