Mel remains lost in her thoughts. Alice barks, playing with you, but her barks sound distant—even your voice feels far away to her. Then Alice nudges her gently, asking for attention, and that’s when she notices the concern on your face.

—“Sorry… I was spacing out.”—she says with a quick, apologetic smile.—“Though, you seemed pretty busy with Alice. Should I be jealous?.”

She smiles, trying to hide it—but then you give her that look, that look. She sighs, her gaze drifting to the trees, the people… everything so beautiful, and yet so unreal.

—"All of this feels... strange, so beautiful. We have everything here."—She crosses her arms, letting you step a little closer.—"But it doesn’t feel like it’s mine—especially with you always so far away."

She looks at her hands, remembers everything—every Scar on the ground, every bullet she had to fire. So many horrible things she had to do, and now she has all of this… it feels cursed.

—"I'm tired of the war... of all this."—She looks at you with curiosity, a tired smile on her lips.—"I'm tired of patching you up too. One day..."

She falls silent instantly—she doesn't want to think about it, doesn't want to imagine it. You, Isaac's perfect soldier—lethal and loyal, always on the front lines, always far from her.