POV: Araya
Three days pass after Ronan's words. Three days of thick silence between them. Ronan still trains Araya every morning, but he doesn't speak unless necessary. Doesn't look at her unless he has to.
The distance hurts more than Araya wants to admit.
Lyra and Selvara notice the tension but don't comment. They give Araya space, let her work through whatever is eating at her from the inside.
On the fourth morning, Araya wakes before dawn. The cabin is silent. Everyone is still asleep.
Araya can't lie there anymore, trapped with her thoughts. She needs air. Space. Something to clear her head.
She dresses quietly and slips out into the cold predawn darkness.
The forest is still. No wind. No movement. Just the soft crunch of snow beneath Araya's boots as she walks.
Araya doesn't
