TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter briefly describes the interaction between two girls. Readers' discretion is advised.
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Days passed, and things between Elara and me started to change slowly at first. We still had missions and worked together like we always had, but there was a new softness between us now. It was subtle—brushing fingertips when we handed off supplies, quiet conversations during the late hours of the night—but it was there.
I wasn’t used to this feeling. I’d spent so long shutting myself off from the world, from anyone who could hurt me. But with Elara, it was different. She was patient and careful, and even though I could feel the weight of her fears, she never let them pull us apart again. It was like we were both learning to navigate this new terri
