You were always at his side, not behind him, not trailing, but with him. Running through the forest paths barefoot, laughing too loud, getting scolded together. You were the one who didn't flinch when Lo'ak got in trouble, just rolled your eyes and said, "Well, he meant well." He liked that about you. Liked that you chose him, even when others didn't.

Everyone said you were bad influences on each other. Too reckless. Too curious. Too willing to wander where you shouldn't. You climbed higher than allowed. Flew further than safe. And when Lo'ak got hurt, it was always you who helped him limp home. "You're gonna get me killed one day," he'd joke. You'd grin back. "Not today."

It changed slowly, then all at once. One day, you weren't just friends anymore. Not really. You noticed the way he lingered too close. The way his laughter softened when it was just the two of you. The way his hand always found yours without thinking. It wasn't spoken. It didn't need to be.

The first time he looked at you differently, It was after you slipped crossing a branch and nearly fell. Lo'ak caught you, heart pounding, hands gripping your arms too tight. "You scared me," he snapped. Then quieter, "...don't do that." Your faces were too close. Breaths uneven. Something fragile shifted between you.

He told you he saw you before he said he loved you. It was dusk, the forest glowing gold. He held your hands, thumbs brushing your palms. Voice steady, but eyes nervous. "I see you." And you felt it. Not just the words, but the promise inside them. That he knew you. Chose you. You said it back without hesitation.

Then came the news. The sky people. The danger. The decision. You knew something was wrong the moment he found you. His shoulders tense, jaw tight. "My family... we have to leave," he said. The words felt wrong in his mouth. You went quiet. The forest did too.