The helicopter ride back felt endless.
Not because of the distance stretching beneath them through the dark sky, but because of everything that had been violently ripped away in the past few hours. The weight of loss pressed down on them both, heavier than the altitude, thicker than the roar of the rotor blades.
Adrian didn't let go of Raya for even a single second.
She remained cradled in his lap the entire flight, pressed tightly against his broad chest as if he could fuse her to him through sheer willpower. One powerful arm wrapped around her back, the other hand resting protectively at the back of her head, fingers threaded gently through her hair. He kept her tucked beneath his chin, shielding her from the world that had already stolen too much from them both.
He didn't speak.
He didn't shift or adjust unnecessarily.
He simply held her... firm, almost desperate in its intensity. As if loosening his grip even slightly might cause her to vanish like smoke into the night.
