Chapter 81

Between Doubt and Longing

The air inside the café had grown thick, heavy with exhaustion and the lingering tension of unspoken fears. The dim torchlight cast flickering shadows along the cracked walls, stretching and twisting like phantoms of the past.

Lara sat beside Elias's unconscious form, her fingers trembling slightly as she brushed a stray strand of hair from his pale face. He looked different like this—fragile in a way he never had before. Vulnerable.

A dull ache settled deep in her chest.

She didn't know what to feel anymore.

Her trust in Elias had wavered, shaken by all the unsettling pieces of the puzzle she had yet to fit together. But despite the doubt gnawing at her mind, her heart clung to something deeper—something unshaken.

She sighed, pulling her sweater tighter around her shoulders before spreading it over both of them. Without thinking, she laid close to him, her body warming against his.

With the softest touch, she traced a fingertip along the bridge of his nose, memorizing every detail as if it would be the last time.

Then, slowly, her exhaustion overtook her, and she drifted into sleep.

A hand shook her shoulder.

"Lara."

Her eyes fluttered open, the remnants of sleep still clouding her vision.

It was Roman.

"Get up," he said, his voice quiet but urgent.

Lara's heart jumped as she sat up quickly, her mind already racing with worst-case scenarios. She scanned the café in a panic—Elias was gone. The others, too.

Fear gripped her.

"Where is he? Where are the others?" she demanded.

Roman didn't answer. Instead, he gestured toward the doorway. "Come see for yourself."

Lara hesitated for half a second before pushing herself off the ground and rushing outside.

The morning sun was weak, its pale light barely breaking through the thick, murky sky. A faint fog rolled across the cracked pavement, swirling around the ruins of the dead city like fingers reaching for something unseen.

And there, perched atop the van, was Elias.

He sat motionless, his figure cast in eerie contrast against the dull sky. His expression was unreadable—stoic, detached, his green eyes devoid of their usual warmth.

For a moment, Lara didn't move.

A chill ran down her spine.

It wasn't just relief she felt. It was uncertainty.

Then, suddenly, Elias moved.

Slowly, he stepped down from the van, his gaze locking onto her as he landed lightly on the ground.

And then—without warning—he pulled her into a tight embrace.

Lara gasped, her body tensing for only a moment before she melted against him.

She could hear his heartbeat against her ear, strong and steady, as if he had never been on the verge of death the night before.

She didn't care how it was possible.

He was alive.

"You're back," she whispered, squeezing her arms around him tighter.

Elias let out a slow breath, his lips brushing against her temple. "I'm back," he murmured, holding her close as if he had no intention of letting go.

Then, before she could process what was happening, he tilted her chin up and pressed his lips to hers.

It wasn't a rushed kiss, nor was it hesitant. It was deep, filled with something raw, something unspoken. A quiet thank you. A quiet promise.

Lara's breath hitched, but she kissed him back without hesitation.

When they finally pulled apart, Elias rested his forehead against hers, his fingers brushing the side of her face. "Thank you," he whispered, his voice rough with emotion.

Lara blinked at him, her heart hammering against her ribs. "For what?"

"For saving me."

She smiled faintly, but shook her head. "It wasn't just me, Elias. It was all of us."

Elias exhaled, his grip tightening ever so slightly. Then, without another word, he leaned in and whispered something against her ear.

Lara stiffened.

Her breath hitched, and her eyes flickered immediately toward the group.

What he had just said—it changed everything.

But before she could say anything, Roman scoffed. "Alright, lovebirds. That's enough of that," he called out, rolling his eyes. "We've got things to do."

Lara pulled away, her gaze lingering on Elias before she finally nodded.

There was no time for this now.

The scent of roasted meat filled the air as the group sat around the small fire Caleb had built just outside the café. The flames flickered weakly, barely keeping the creeping cold at bay.

Caleb worked in silence, turning the pieces of charred meat over the fire, his eyes heavy with exhaustion.

Jack sat beside him, tearing into his portion like a man starved. "This might be the last real meal we have in a while," he muttered between bites.

The group sat in a loose circle, eating slowly. Margot was the only one who remained distant, her eyes fixed on Elias in a way that Lara couldn't quite decipher.

Lara took a bite of her food, but it tasted like nothing.

Her mind was still spinning from what Elias had whispered to her.

The others were already questioning him.

"How did you recover so quickly?" Caleb asked, his voice laced with suspicion. "I mean, I saw the state you were in. You should be half-dead right now."

Roman nodded in agreement. "Yeah. No offense, but that kind of healing isn't exactly normal."

Lara's grip on her plate tightened slightly.

She knew they weren't wrong.

Elias met their gazes calmly, leaning back slightly. "I suppose I just had something worth healing for."

His eyes flickered to Lara for only a brief second before he took another bite of food.

The group groaned at the obvious deflection.

"Oh, come on," Jack grumbled. "I almost died for your sorry ass, and all you've got is some poetic nonsense?"

Margot finally spoke, her tone unreadable. "He's lying," she murmured.

The group turned to her, and for the first time since the morning, Lara saw something other than exhaustion in Margot's expression.

It was doubt.

Maybe even something darker.

Lara swallowed hard, her appetite completely gone.

Something was wrong.

And she wasn't the only one who knew it.

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