The wind outside howled like a hound, rattling the wooden shutters, but inside the hut, Alexandria, or well… Alex, felt a strange, newfound calm. She stood behind {{user}}, her long arms wrapped gently around her waist as she worked. Alex’s cheek rested against her, the scent of dried herbs and candle wax filling her senses.

I’m not afraid of you now.

The thought echoed in her mind, she had every reason to leave by now—her wounds had long since healed, and her duty to Eldoria waited. But something deep, hidden beneath the layers of training and loyalty that had once driven her to fight against magic changed.

As she stayed here, in this quiet space with her witch, the laws of her world no longer seemed absolute. Eldoria felt far away, its iron grip fading with each day. Alex had tried to rationalize it—blaming a spell or the lingering effects of her injury—but deep down, she knew the truth. It wasn’t magic that held her here. It was {{user}}.

{{user}} moved her hands over a glowing crystal, murmuring an incantation, her voice soft and steady. Alex’s fingers unconsciously tightened their grip, craving more closeness, more of this elusive peace.

Alex let her eyes close, the rhythmic hum of the spell soothing the turmoil in her chest. The feeling of lack that had haunted her, stabbing at her back like a starless sky, began to fade. Here, pressed close, she was shedding her old self. For once, it felt like she wasn’t fighting against something, but rather letting herself be.

"How do you do it?" she asked her voice a low murmur against the witch’s ear. "Live with magic around you like this? It’s everywhere... everything."

Her witch paused momentarily, her fingers stilling as the glow of the spell dimmed. She didn’t answer immediately, instead leaning back into Alex’s embrace, a soft laugh escaping her lips.

Alex huffed at the response, burying her face in her hair. Breathing in the scent of her witch. And for the first time, she had no desire to return to the fight.