Meika stared into Lyra's deep blue eyes.
Then she asked quietly, "Why are you here, Lyra?"
Lyra opened her mouth… but nothing came out. She hesitated. Collected herself. Then finally said,
"We're friends. Why wouldn't I be here?"
But Meika didn't look away. She just kept watching her — waiting. Waiting for the real answer.
Lyra's posture softened. Her voice dropped, almost a whisper.
"I'm sorry… for what happened with Riven."
Meika shook her head slightly. Her voice was calm, steady.
"You and Riven are two different people. We were in battle — on opposite sides. So what happened… that's not something you should apologize for."
She glanced away.
"The ones who should say sorry… are my own teammates. But I know they won't."
Lyra exhaled, as if a heavy weight had finally been lifted from her chest. Like a boulder pressing on her shoulders had been quietly taken away.
In the quiet corner of the infirmary, a brown-skinned boy wrapped in bandages stirred.
