Evaline:
My fingers tightened around Oscar's arm before I even realized what I was doing. My grip was firm... enough to be uncomfortable if not painful.
I could feel the tension in my own muscles, and the way my nails pressed slightly into his skin through his sleeve. Under any other circumstance, he would have teased me about it.
But now?
He didn't react at all.
Instead, his arm came around me, pulling me closer to his side, his hand resting steady against my back in silent reassurance. His touch was warm, grounding… familiar.
And yet, it wasn't enough.
Nothing about this moment felt calm. Nothing felt safe. Not when Kyros was kneeling in the middle of our living room.
Not when River stood near the glass wall with his back turned to all of us, staring out into the dark night where snow fell in slow, endless streams.
It was half past two in the morning.
