By the time Evan noticed what was happening, it was already too late.
A massive body cast him in shadow, shoving him aside. In the instant he lost his balance, he instinctively turned his head and saw Millian's tear-filled eyes.
In that moment, so many complex emotions flashed through those brown eyes.
Gratitude, reluctance, relief, acceptance…
These feelings mingled together, finally coalescing into a look filled with love.
Her life had been too bitter, but that one encounter, when her emotions were at their most fragile, had become the sole ray of light in her eternally dark world.
That day, she found the courage to live on and hope for the future. Though the final outcome wasn't perfect… perhaps this was enough.
At least, during those days, she had truly "lived."
And so, she smiled and gave him one last, deep look, as if to etch his image into her very soul.
"Millian—!"
