Celeste nudged Freya softly on the shoulder, her voice unusually gentle. "Did something happen in the monster zone?"
Freya didn't respond at first.
But her eye flickered—just for a moment.
And that was enough.
Everyone present felt it. A shift in the air. An emotion too heavy to ignore.
Something absolutely had happened.
Amelia quietly moved closer, her tone soft but firm. She sat beside Freya and gently took one of her hands in her own, squeezing it reassuringly.
"Hey… you can share with us. We're your friends, Freya."
Freya turned her head slowly, looking at Amelia. Her amethyst eyes shimmered faintly, a glassy film forming over them.
She looked down at their joined hands.
Her lips quivered.
But she didn't cry.
She was holding back, barely holding on.
Evelyn stepped forward, kneeling down beside her. Her voice lacked its usual edge. It was open. Honest. "If you want to cry, just cry. We're not here to judge. You don't have to carry it all."
