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Before Maria could catch her breath, Alma, Partner, and Emeraldine rushed toward her, enveloping her in a tight embrace, holding on as if they'd never let go. If Maria's strength were any less formidable, their enthusiastic hug might have crushed her bones.
"Maria! Are you okay?! We were so worried! A-And we're back? Is everything okay now?" Emeraldine asked, her voice trembling with concern.
"I could feel it. That battle was so intense! W-What the hell was that?!" Partner asked desperately, her eyes wide with urgency.
"Maria…!" Alma cried, clinging to Maria tightly. "Don't do anything reckless like that again…!"
"I-I'm sorry… I'm alright now," Maria said with a warm smile, gently caressing their heads and kissing each one softly. "A lot happened, yeah… But I've grown so much stronger as a result of it all. So it was totally worth it!"
"You think so?! We almost died from worry!" Sofia scolded, stepping to Maria's side with a stern expression.
