"D…Daela?"
Faelyn's lips barely move. The name clings to her throat, strangled with disbelief. She steps forward from behind Amendiel clumsily, afraid that one wrong breath might shatter the illusion before her—an illusion she has dreamed of countless times, only to wake up alone.
From behind the towering dragon who just entered, a smaller figure bursts forth, a blur of motion.
"Daela!"
This time Faelyn screams it with conviction, her voice breaking as the warm body crashes into her. Familiar arms wrap tightly around her neck.
Confusion.
Relief.
Happiness, so sharp it hurts her chest hits her.
"I thought you died… I thought you… I missed you!" Faelyn chokes between sobs, crushing Daela in her arms, her tears falling freely.
"I missed you too. I tried to find you sooner," Daela's voice breaks, her shoulders slump beneath the weight of guilt. "But I couldn't."
