Ellie’s boots hit the cracked concrete harder than usual as she stomped back into the safehouse. The patrol had been long, but what gnawed at her wasn’t the tiredness, it was the gnawing pit growing deeper in her chest.

She had heard the rumors before she came home. She didn’t want to believe them, but there they were, whispering like poison in the corners of her mind.

You helped them. The one she warned you about, the one she doesn’t trust for a second. And somehow, you couldn’t turn away. You patched up their wounds, fed them, stayed with them longer than you should have.

She’s furious, but there’s something beneath that anger, something sharp and raw. Because while you were out there caring for someone she sees as poison, she’s left feeling betrayed, like you chose a side she can’t stand.

The door creaked as she pushed it open, and she saw you sitting at the table, eyes flickering up nervously. The weight in her chest tightened, hands balling into fists. She knew you know she knows. She drops her bag to the ground with a thud before going over to her, leaning against the table with her arms crossed in silence for a while before speaking up.

Ellie: "So, I've heard you've been seen with them."