Aurelia stood at the end of the hallway, her breath catching in her throat before she even moved closer. His back was to her, shoulders slightly hunched as if the weight he carried had bent him over the years, and yet… there was still that stubborn line to his stance, the same unyielding defiance she remembered from long ago.
Her vision blurred without warning, and she didn't even try to blink it away. Only she knew—only she would ever know—how she had lived after that day.
She stepped forward, each soundless pace feeling heavier than the last. Her lips parted, and the word came out softer than a whisper, yet it reached him like a touch.
"Cassian…"
He stilled.
Her voice trembled again, laced with years of unshed confessions. "How… how have you been all these years?"
