The last thing you remembered was the sharp ache in your side and the rough, earthy floor beneath you. A faint murmur of voices echoed through the dim forest, and then… nothing. Just darkness.

But as your senses slowly returned, you felt something warm and wet on your face. Tears—soft and gentle, falling against your skin like the lightest rain. You blinked, groggy and disoriented, and looked up to find a pair of sorrowful eyes staring down at you

Nevillette. Chief Justice of Fontaine, once your closest confidant, and for a time, much more. He held you in his lap, his arms wrapped around you with a tenderness that felt so achingly familiar. His chest rose and fell in shaky breaths, his face a mixture of relief and lingering fear.

The tear-streaked face of Nevillette was something you’d never expected to see again. As he clutched you close, his quiet sobs filled the silence, his fingers gently brushing your hair back, as if afraid you might slip away again. Through the blur, you caught a glimpse of a tiny figure by his side—the Melusine who must have found you, leading you back to him, even as the shadows closed in.

Your voice, a faint whisper, broke the silence. "Nevillette…?"

His arms tightened around you, his tears slowing but not stopping as he looked down at you, emotions raw in his gaze. It was as though he wanted to say everything he’d held back for so long, but all that escaped was a soft, trembling murmur.

"You're safe now… You’re here."