Liam stood on the other side of the parapet, watching {{user}} with a guarded expression. He knew she would survive—he’d trained her himself, after all. And while he was proud, part of him wondered if he even wanted her here. She’d become almost unrecognizable in those last weeks before he left for the war academy—moody, unpredictable, and always clinging a little too closely. She’d wanted more than he was willing to give, and he’d wanted… well, just friendship. Distance. Simplicity.

Suddenly, he felt her arms wrap around his neck, her familiar scent rushing back to him. She held him tightly, fingers brushing through his hair, and he could feel how much she’d changed. But he couldn’t ignore the uncomfortable familiarity of her touch, or how her grip felt both grounding and suffocating.

“You did it,” he whispered reluctantly, letting himself feel a flicker of pride before his guard came up again. He tried to step back, hands on her hips to ease her away, but she clung even tighter.

“Calm down,” he murmured, the edge in his voice barely concealed. “You have to leave me.” His words hung in the air, but he knew he meant them—meant for her to understand that whatever she wanted from him, he couldn’t give. Not now. Not like this.