“I’m sorry.”
Elara’s knees gave out beneath her.
She collapsed onto the stone floor, the impact dull and final, as if her body had simply surrendered. Tears spilled freely now, unchecked, soaking into the grime beneath her palms. Her chest hitched violently, each breath breaking into sharp, humiliating hiccups that left her gasping. When she finally lifted her head, it was only enough to look at Zero.
Her eyes begged him.
Not with words. Not with reason.
Just desperation.
To spare the alien man.
The women huddled in the corner froze. The space between them felt suddenly enormous, as though Elara had fallen into a pit they could not follow. No one spoke. No one moved. Their faces drained of color as they stared at their friend, trying to reconcile the woman they knew with the words s
