LILA
He stopped running when he got close. I didn't say a word as he walked toward me. I was too drained, too lost in the swirl of everything to even muster a greeting. But then he just wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into his chest, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I let myself feel the comfort of that embrace. The warmth of someone who cared, who was here—right now—for me.
"I've got you," he whispered, voice soft, like he was afraid to break the moment. "I'm here, Lila. I'm not going anywhere."
Resting against him, my eyes focused on the river rushing ahead of us, dark and endless. My mind tried to hold on to something solid, some bit of reality that wasn't slipping through my fingers, but everything felt off. Unnatural. I found myself speaking before I could
