The flames of Avalon were far behind them, but Karen still felt the heat in her chest not from fear anymore, but from everything left unspoken.
Luca dropped them off at a secluded cabin just past dawn, giving them a nod before walking off to keep watch outside. Karen and Alex stepped inside in silence.
The air was cool and still.
Safe.
Karen sank onto the edge of the bed, hands trembling slightly as she took off her jacket. Ash still clung to her clothes, but it was the weight of what they'd survived that made her feel heavy.
Alex stood a few steps away, watching her carefully. He didn't speak, not yet.
She looked up at him.
"I should feel free," she whispered. "But all I feel is… tired."
He walked to her slowly, then knelt in front of her and took her hands in his.
"You don't have to feel anything right now," he said softly. "You just have to breathe and I'll carry the rest."
Karen's lips trembled. She squeezed his hands tightly, grounding herself in his warmth. And then, without warning, she leaned in.
Their lips met, soft and slow. A kiss without urgency, but full of meaning. He pulled her closer, gently, his thumb brushing away the stray tear on her cheek.
It was like touching something fragile but familiar, her heart steadying in his hands.
They broke apart just long enough to rest their foreheads together.
Karen exhaled. "Thank you… for staying."
Alex smiled faintly. "I'd burn the world to keep you safe."
He moved beside her on the bed, and she curled into him her head on his chest, fingers tangled with his. The quiet wrapped around them like a second blanket.
They lay like that for a long time.
No more words and no more running.
Just breathing, just them.
And as her eyes drifted closed, Karen whispered,
"Whatever comes next… let's face it together."
Alex kissed her temple, his voice low against her skin.
"Always."