Johnn continued,
"Not just in the way you hold yourself, or the way you cook, but in the way you see the world. That raw, honest belief that there's more to this place than just monsters and death. It... it hits me harder than I can explain."
Maddy felt a sudden, sharp ache in her chest. The professional, guarded wall she kept around her heart, the one that defined her life as a lone adventurer, seemed to crack. She felt raw, exposed, and strangely seen.
Johnn let out a long, weary breath, kicking at the loose soil.
"I never wanted to take this quest, you know. And not because I'm some heartless bastard who doesn't care about the rumors or the danger involved. I didn't take it because I wanted to be a hero for the Guild."
He looked up at the shifting, bioluminescent canopy above, his face hardening with a mix of longing and grief.
