They reached an abandoned shelter by evening.
She cleaned his wound carefully, hands steady despite the fear screaming inside her. He watched her, noticing the distance she had rebuilt between them.
"You are pulling away again," he said softly.
She did not answer.
That night, while Elion slept, she made a decision that broke her heart.
She would leave again.
Not because she wanted to
Because next time, she might not stop
She sat beside him, memorizing his face. The lines of exhaustion. The quiet strength. The way he still reached for her even in sleep.
"I love you," she whispered.
Then she stood.
The moment she took a step toward the door, his hand closed around her wrist.
"Do not," he said, eyes open now. "If you leave, do not come back."
Her breath hitched.
She knelt beside him, tears spilling freely. "If I stay, I will kill you."
He pulled her into his arms, weak but determined. "Then we face it together."
Her resolve cracked.
She stayed.