"....The terror in her eyes when her father touched her. It wasn't just fear, Su Feng. It was... it was like she was reliving something horrific. Like she wasn't even in that room anymore."
Su Feng cupped her face gently, his thumbs wiping away the tears that had begun to fall. "That's what trauma does," he said softly. "It pulls you back to the worst moments of your life, makes them feel present and real all over again. And there's nothing anyone can do but wait for it to pass and hold on when they let you."
"Is that why Third Master Mu..." She trailed off, understanding dawning in her eyes.
"Yes." Su Feng's expression softened with something like respect. "He's the only anchor she has right now. The only person who can pull her back from those dark places. That's why he won't leave her side, why he won't let anyone else near her." He paused, his voice dropping lower. "And that's why I had to be so harsh with her family. They don't understand what they're doing to her."
