'It's a beautiful explosion. Somehow, my heart feels lighter seeing this building burning down in flames. I wish I could see more of it.'
Selene felt her heart give a familiar relieved thump as she watched the research facility burn.
The fire burned low on the horizon, casting a dying glow over the night sky.
Black smoke curled upward like a final breath, smearing the stars out of sight.
Selene stood still, watching the facility crumble under its own weight. It should've felt like victory. But it didn't.
She wrapped her arms around herself. Her thoughts scattered like ash—Aldric's obsession, the voice in her head, Ethan's sudden confession…
Too much.
Ethan stepped closer, silent for a while, then slipped an arm over her shoulders.
Selene stiffened instinctively.
It felt wrong at first—too intimate, too sudden—but then something in her gave way. She let herself lean into him, just enough to share her weight.
