Her body slammed into mine, soft and trembling, her warmth cutting through the cold chaos around us. I didn't push her away. The tears on her cheeks, the shaking in her frame... those told the story better than words ever could. I couldn't understand it, maybe never would, but she had chosen me over her family. So, for now, I'd protect her.
"Beatrice… don't leave me here… wherever you go, I want to go. Please…" Her voice broke, fragile and pleading. Maybe her family's secrets ran deeper than I knew. Maybe there was something hidden behind all this madness that drove her to me. I didn't have time to wonder. I just reached for her hand, our fingers locking as I pulled her close and turned toward the horizon.
