Atlas fell silent for a moment, genuinely surprised by the figure now standing in front of him. It was a woman with long black hair, neatly tied back with a simple scarf. She wore a long dark green dress, paired with a plain outer jacket that gave her a modest, simple appearance.
"Laura?" Atlas murmured her name.
"It really is you, Atlas!" the woman said, her expression changing completely. "You are truly still alive!"
She grabbed Atlas's right hand and lifted it slightly. "They said you failed during the hunt. And they said that you were… killed," she added.
"I almost was," Atlas replied.
"Where have you been all this time? You…" The woman's gaze swept over Atlas's body as if examining him, her fingers briefly touching his hand. "You look… very healthy. And you also… you look different. You are not the Atlas I used to know."
She let out a small laugh afterward.
