Lyra's breath caught, not at the mention of the previous Luna, but at the confession. Cassian didn't talk like this. Not to anyone. That he chose to say it now, to her—it meant more than she could put into words.
"I'm scared," she admitted, her voice barely audible.
"So am I," he said. "But I'd rather be scared with you… than live numb without you."
She closed her eyes, leaning into him again. And for the first time in years, she didn't feel like she had to run, fight, or hide.
Cassian was still rough around the edges, still grieving, still learning. But he wasn't pushing her away anymore.
He was here. And he was trying.
And maybe—just maybe—that was enough for now.
The warmth between them lingered, grounding them in a rare moment of peace neither had known in too long.
