Darkness.
It felt… quiet.
Too quiet.
No pain.
No fear.
No sound.
For a moment—
Elena thought this was it.
"…So this is what dying feels like…"
Her voice echoed softly.
Empty.
Distant.
"…It's not that bad…"
A small, tired smile formed.
"If it ends like this…"
Maybe—
She could finally rest.
No more running.
No more fear.
No more being chased.
"…I'm sorry…"
She whispered it.
Not to anyone in particular.
Just—
To everything she was leaving behind.
"I tried…"
Silence.
Then—
A voice.
Faint.
But familiar.
"…Elena."
Her breath paused.
"…That voice…"
It came again.
Closer this time.
Stronger.
"Elena."
Her eyes slowly opened.
Light.
Soft.
Blurry at first.
Then—
Clear.
The ceiling.
White.
Still.
"…I'm alive…?"
Her voice cracked.
Barely audible.
Her body felt heavy.
Like it didn't belong to her.
She tried to move—
Pain shot through her instantly.
"Ah—!"
Her breath broke.
"…Okay… yeah… I'm definitely alive…"
A quiet exhale escaped her.
Half relief.
Half disbelief.
"You woke up."
She turned her head slightly.
The figure was there.
Sitting beside her.
Watching.
As always.
"…You stayed."
The words slipped out before she could stop them.
A small pause.
"…Yes."
Elena blinked slowly.
"…I thought you might disappear again."
"…Not this time."
Her chest tightened slightly.
Not from pain.
Something else.
"…Good."
Silence settled between them.
But it wasn't awkward.
Not anymore.
Just… calm.
For a moment—
Everything felt normal.
Almost.
Then—
Memory hit her.
The fight.
The creature.
The explosion.
Her eyes widened slightly.
"…What happened…?"
"You won."
The answer came simply.
Direct.
Elena stared at the ceiling again.
"…That doesn't feel real…"
Her fingers moved slightly.
Still trembling.
"I thought I was going to die…"
A pause.
"…Again."
"You almost did."
No sugarcoating.
As usual.
Elena let out a weak laugh.
"…You really don't comfort people, do you?"
"…I'm not here to comfort you."
A small pause.
"…I'm here to keep you alive."
Her chest tightened again.
"…That counts."
Silence.
Then—
"…Maybe."
A faint response.
But enough.
—
Elena slowly lifted her hand.
Resting it against her chest.
That warmth—
Still there.
But different.
Not wild.
Not unstable.
Just…
Quiet.
"…It changed…"
Her voice softened.
The figure watched her carefully.
"…Yes."
"How?"
A pause.
"…You forced it."
Elena frowned slightly.
"…That doesn't sound good."
"It isn't."
Of course it wasn't.
She sighed weakly.
"…What did I do…?"
The figure stood up slowly.
Stepping a little closer.
"…You crossed a line."
Her breath caught.
"…What kind of line…?"
A silence.
Then—
"The one between control… and loss."
Her chest tightened.
"…So I lost control?"
"…Not completely."
A pause.
"But you were close."
Elena looked down.
Her fingers clenched slightly.
"…I remember…"
The fear.
The desperation.
The moment she stopped caring.
"I just… wanted to live…"
Her voice trembled again.
"I didn't think about anything else…"
"That's why it worked."
She froze.
"…What?"
The figure's gaze didn't waver.
"You stopped holding back."
Elena's heart skipped.
"…And that's bad?"
"Yes."
The answer came immediately.
Cold.
Certain.
"Because next time…"
A pause.
"You might not come back."
Silence.
Heavy.
Real.
Elena swallowed hard.
"…So I can't use that again?"
"You can."
Her breath caught.
"…But?"
"You need to control it."
Of course.
Nothing was simple.
Nothing ever was.
Elena closed her eyes briefly.
"…I almost disappeared, didn't I?"
A pause.
Then—
"…Yes."
Her chest tightened.
But strangely—
She didn't panic.
Not like before.
"…Okay."
She opened her eyes again.
Calmer now.
More grounded.
"Then I'll learn."
Her voice was quiet.
But steady.
"I won't rely on luck anymore."
Her gaze shifted.
Meeting theirs.
"I'll control it."
Silence.
Then—
A faint nod.
"…Good."
—
Another quiet moment passed.
Then—
Elena spoke again.
"…Hey."
"Yes?"
A pause.
Small.
But meaningful.
"…Why do you keep helping me?"
The question lingered.
Heavy.
Real.
The figure didn't answer immediately.
Their gaze shifted slightly.
As if thinking.
Or remembering something.
"…Because I chose to."
Elena frowned.
"…That's not an answer."
"…It is."
She sighed.
"…You're impossible."
A faint pause.
"…I know."
But this time—
There was something different.
Something softer.
Elena looked at them for a moment.
Longer than usual.
"…Still…"
Her voice dropped slightly.
"…Thank you."
Silence.
Then—
"…Rest."
A pause.
"You'll need it."
Elena let her head sink back.
Her eyes slowly closing again.
"…Yeah…"
Her body relaxed.
Just a little.
Not fully.
Not completely.
But enough.
Because now—
She knew something.
She wasn't alone.
Not anymore.
And for the first time—
That made her feel…
A little less afraid.