Only now did Lana notice how cold her skin felt, even in warm air.
Her tears hit Lana's shoulder... cold as melted ice, but to Lana they were like scalding oil poured on her heart.
"I… I was really about to give up," Naina whispered hoarsely. "If you walked away back there… I think that would have been the end for me."
Naina's heart tightened ever so slightly as she held Lana.
The fragile weight in her arms made her wonder if a human life truly was something so delicate, so easily swayed between surviving and shattering.
Human lives really are this fragile… She suppressed the complicated heaviness rising in her chest and gently patted Naina's back, steadying her voice so it remained calm and even.
"You don't need to worry anymore," Lana murmured softly. "I will handle everything from here."
She slowly pulled back, brushing a strand of hair away from Naina's damp cheek.
"I might need to make some calls. Will you wait for a moment?"
