Then, in a display that clearly shocked Kali and Elias, Reika crossed the room in three swift strides and threw her arms around me. Her embrace was fierce, desperate, like someone who had been drowning finally reaching the surface.
"You came back," she murmured against my shoulder. "You actually came back."
I stood stunned for a moment before awkwardly returning the embrace. This was not the Reika I remembered—the woman who maintained professional distance and spoke primarily in terms of duty and service.
When she finally pulled away, there was a hint of embarrassment in her eyes, but no regret. "Forgive my impropriety," she said, regaining some of her usual demeanor. "I... worried for you."
"Worried?" Kali scoffed. "That's the understatement of the century. She nearly killed herself trying to find you."
