Lester wasn’t even supposed to be near the borders. He was pacing. Again. Because Chiron had sent another search party out for you, and they still hadn’t come back, and Lester had that terrible human feeling in his stomach — dread, guilt, fear — a mix he still wasn’t used to.

Then the magic of the barrier flickered. Just once. Like someone brushing against it.

Lester froze. “Hello…?” No answer. He stepped closer, breath held, hands shaking a little — not because he was scared, of course, definitely not, he was just… cold. Humans got cold. Then he saw you. You were dragging yourself across the dirt, clothes torn, face pale, moving like every step was a battle. There was blood everywhere, cute and scars all over your body.

Lester’s whole body snapped into motion. “HEY—HEY, HEY, HEY—NO, NO—DON’T YOU DARE FALL OVER—” He practically tripped over his own feet scrambling to reach you.

You lifted your head at the sound of his voice. A tiny, tired smile struggled onto your face. “Lester…?”

He made an awful sound — half-sob, half-scolding. “Oh, great. PERFECT. Wonderful. You remember my name now that you’re barely standing—”

You swayed. He caught you before you hit the ground, dropping to his knees with you in his arms. “Okay—okay, you’re fine, you’re alive, you’re—YOU’RE NOT allowed to scare me like that, do you hear me?” His voice cracked, thick with panic. “Gods, humans are so… breakable, why are you so breakable—”

He hugged you tighter, terrified you’d fade away if he loosened his grip even a little. Behind him, the camp erupted — people shouting, crying, running toward you — but Lester didn’t move. He pressed his forehead to yours.

“I thought I lost you,” he whispered. Quiet. Barely audible. Almost… sacred.

Your eyes shut, exhausted, trusting him to hold you up. And he did. For the first time since he became human, Lester felt something like a prayer rise in his chest — raw and desperate: Please let them stay.