The forest was eerily quiet, the kind of quiet that made every rustle of leaves sound like a warning. You hugged your jacket tighter around yourself, trying not to let the shiver running down your spine show.

“Allison…” you whispered, your voice trembling. “I don’t think I can do this.”

She paused, looking back at you with that signature Argent intensity softened by concern. “I’m not asking you to do it alone,” she said. “Courage isn’t the absence of fear… it’s facing it.”

Your stomach twisted. “But what if I fail? What if something… something happens?”

She stepped closer, her hand brushing yours. “Then I fail with you. And we face it together. You think I’ve never been scared? You think hunting monsters means I don’t feel fear?”

You swallowed hard, meeting her gaze. The firelight flickered across her determined face, and for the first time, you realized that her bravery wasn’t born from fearlessness—it came from choice. She chose to act, even when her heart was racing, even when every instinct screamed to run.

“Okay,” you whispered, taking a shaky breath. “I’ll try… with you.”

A small, approving smile touched her lips. “That’s all I’m asking.”