Aftermath ll

The elf exhaled softly, then spoke. "Serina should be find guilty as she came with them. But it's also true that, without Serina, none of this would have been possible. She was the one who brought Esther and Hina here so that they could save us. Without her, we wouldn't have been able to stop Gyosu." 

Serina's eyes widened, her lips parting, but no words came. 

The Elf continued, his voice firm yet kind. "So we have no reason to punish her. If anything, we should be thanking her." 

Tears welled in Serina's eyes, and this time, she didn't fight them. She didn't want to be forgiven—she didn't believe she deserved it. A sob escaped her, followed by another. She lowered her head, fists trembling, her whole body shaking as she finally broke. 

"I… I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice thick with pain. "I should have done something sooner… I should have stopped it before it got this far… I failed… I—"