Mia lifted her head.

Her cheeks were still wet, but her smile was soft. Warm.

The kind that told you she forgave you before you finished speaking.

"Elowyn, stop," Mia said gently.

She reached out and took Elowyn's hand.

Her grip was small but firm.

"You didn't cause all this," she said slowly. "These people... these lands... they have been waiting for a reason to break. You only showed them the truth. You survived. That alone shifts the world. But it's not your fault. There was no way ...