"Sera, you made it."
Relief flooded Voren's voice the second her eyes opened. He pulled her straight into his arms like he was terrified she might slip away again.
For the past several days, he'd been carrying this heavy weight on his chest, a deep fear he hadn't even wanted to admit to himself. Now, feeling her warm and alive against him, that weight finally started to lift, melting away with every steady breath she took.
But Seraphine barely seemed to register it at first. Her whole body trembled as she fought to catch her breath, tears already gathering in her eyes.
"V…" Her fingers gripped his shirt tightly, holding on like he was her anchor. "I remember everything."
Voren froze. For a moment, the entire room seemed to fade away around them. Everything he had hoped for, everything he had fought for, everything he had risked, had actually worked.
