[center][img]https://i.ibb.co/2vFBxzb/OIG2-1-1.png[/img][/center]
[sub]Interactions/Mentions: [@c3p-0h] Amaya, [@Dark Light] Vellion, [@BlackRoseSiren] Aurora [/sub][hr]
[indent][color=#ffffff]Elara felt a sting as Vellion dismissed her compassion with a sharp, cold reply. His words cut through her like winter’s chill, the edge of disdain almost daring her to pull back, to stop caring. Yet the pain in his eyes revealed everything she needed to know—this wasn’t about her, or even the wound he tried so desperately to hide. It was something deeper, a darkness clinging to him like a storm cloud he couldn’t shake. Taking a quiet breath, she steadied herself, letting the insult wash over her without flinching.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]Just then, she felt the subtle touch of Amaya’s fingers on her arm, a silent signal to step back and give space. Her gaze shifted from Vellion to Amaya, catching the flicker of caution in her friend’s eyes—a familiar guardedness that Elara had seen countless times. Where Elara’s instinct was to lean in and offer comfort, Amaya’s was to hold back, to observe from a distance, assessing for any threat. And given their different statuses, this all made sense to her. 

Still. 

Elara’s thoughts drifted unbidden to a memory from her own past. She had once watched someone in pain, standing by as they held themselves together, just as Vellion was doing now. She’d hesitated, unsure if it was her place to intervene, and by the time she’d gathered the courage, they had already walked away, leaving her with a guilt that still lingered. That person’s suffering had only deepened in silence, swallowed up by shadows that she had been too slow to dispel.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]The memory clung to her even now, its ache refusing to fade with time. Perhaps it was that regret, so deeply rooted, that made kindness feel instinctual to her now, something she couldn’t withhold even if she tried. Offering compassion felt as natural as breathing—as essential, too. If her efforts could even be called that, she thought with a faint smile, doubting they amounted to much in the face of someone else’s guarded walls. Still, she respected Amaya’s silent request, stepping back but keeping her gaze trained on the man, searching his face for something he kept hidden.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]She watched as Vellion’s confidence returned, his expression slipping into a practiced charm that felt like a mask hastily thrown over whatever turmoil lay beneath. His easy smile and smooth words were carefully crafted, yet she saw the cracks beneath, the desperation that simmered just out of sight, casting a shadow behind his eyes. It was clear he wanted to control what others saw, to keep his pain hidden and contained. But even as she noted his determination to hide the truth, Elara felt her heart reach out toward him, wondering what had driven him to guard himself so fiercely.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]As the healer approached, Vellion’s reaction was immediate, his body tensing as though bracing for an attack. Elara noticed his gaze darting around, desperate for an escape route, his instinct to flee almost palpable. But why? Why did he recoil so strongly from the help offered to him? Her chest tightened, unable to understand what would make someone resist such basic kindness, though she could sense there was more to his story than he was willing to share.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]She couldn’t help herself, the words slipping out in a soft but steady tone. [/color][color=#0054a6]“Please, sir, let her help you,”[/color][color=#ffffff] Elara insisted, her voice carrying a gentle firmness. [/color][color=#0054a6]“Even if it is just… a dog bite, as you so put it, you lose nothing by allowing it to be looked at.”[/color][/indent]