"What is hard for me is that you are suffering and, as your wife, I am unable to do anything," Eilika stated, her gaze searching his.
"You cannot do anything in this," Damian replied, his voice heavy but certain. "In fact, you have already done more than you ever should have. Do not feel low on my account. I do not want this burden to be shared by you. I chose Liliana, and whatever pain and betrayal she brought is mine alone to bear. Not yours."
Eilika hummed softly, realizing he was trying to shield her even while his own world was in pieces. "I won't ask you to forget everything so soon," she said, reaching out to rest a hand on his arm. "But please, do find a way in your heart to move forward. Not for anyone else, but for yourself."
"You're right," Damian said with a faint, weary smile. "I have spent five years trapped in the agony of a loss I never wanted. What hurts the most is knowing I can never get the answers to the questions she left behind."
