Kyle was still holding Eleanora when they collapsed onto the cold floor of the cabin.
His chest rose and fell in sharp ragged breaths. His arms trembled.
Every muscle in his body screamed from the effort. But he didn't let go.
Eleanora lay still against him, her breathing uneven. Her hair was damp with sweat, and her skin was pale as moonlight.
Slowly, her eyes fluttered open. They met his, and for a moment. Neither spoke.
Then her lips parted.
"W-Why did you do that…?" she asked softly, her voice barely holding together. "You should have run…"
Kyle stared down at her. He looked exhausted. Broken. But his eyes still held something steady, something firm.
"I couldn't just leave you behind," he said quietly. "No way."
He meant it.
He could never be the kind of person who walked away and let someone die when he had the power to save them.
The silence that followed was thick.
Then Aaron's voice broke through.
