Truths Laid Bare

Lyra took a deep breath, her chest tightening as she looked at him. Seeing Kaelen like this—so raw, so exposed—shattered something inside her.

She wanted to reach out, to hold him, to tell him it was okay, that everything would be fine. She wanted to shield him from the weight of his own regrets.

But she didn’t. Not yet. This moment demanded more than comfort.

They needed this conversation. The