Lira felt something warm surge inside her as Lucas subtly ignored Selene. She didn't show it outwardly, but deep down, she couldn't deny how satisfying it was to see the same young man who had once looked at Selene with awe and longing now walk past her without even granting her a glance. Still, she didn't let that moment linger too long in her thoughts. Lucas was wounded, exhausted, and on the brink of collapse. Her feelings could wait, his wellbeing could not.
Without hesitation, Lira secured her arm around his waist and guided him through the corridors of the castle, whispering words of reassurance to him though she wasn't even sure if he could hear her. His body was heavy with fatigue, his feet dragging as though each one might be his last, but he did not complain, and he did not resist. He simply leaned on her, trusting her entirely.
