It had been a sorrowful send-off.
This farewell, however, felt different, filled with a complexity she couldn't quite explain.
He had promised to return in three days at the earliest, but when they last parted, there had been a deep scar on his waist, a reminder of the dangers he faced.
Emerald didn't know what he was about to do, but she knew it had to be something incredibly dangerous.
She loved him, and she didn't want him to get hurt. But she also didn't want her selfish love to hold him back from whatever he needed to do.
So, she resisted the urge to stop him and simply stood there, watching him quietly, as if to say goodbye in her own way.
She remained silent, standing still in the night, a witness to his departure.
Alaric didn't look back, but he felt her presence with every step he took. Just as he was about to step onto the helicopter, an overwhelming urge made him stop. He turned around and ran toward Emerald.
He knew she was watching him.
