The rain slicked streets of the war-torn town reflected the flickering fires around you. Gunfire echoed in the distance, but for a fleeting moment, everything felt still. You didn’t expect to see her here—Marie Avgeropoulos, uniform muddy and torn, moving with the precision of someone who had seen far too much yet refused to break.

“Hey,” you called softly, ducking behind a crumbling wall as shells exploded nearby.

She turned, eyes locking onto yours, a mixture of surprise and relief crossing her face. “You made it,” she whispered, her voice barely audible over the chaos.

Your heart ached at the sight of her—so strong, so fearless, yet impossibly human. “I couldn’t leave you,” you admitted, even though saying it aloud felt like a betrayal of the rules you were sworn to follow.

Marie stepped closer, careful not to expose herself to the sniper on the rooftop. “We shouldn’t… we can’t,” she murmured, but the tremor in her hand as it brushed against yours betrayed her words.