Ashley's hands clenched her knees as the story unfolded.
Her mind conjured images of Lyric in battles she could scarcely imagine, dodging danger, risking everything.
She could hear Ross's words but felt them like a weight pressing on her chest—painful and awe-inspiring at once.
"He faced enemies most people only read about in history or horror stories," Ross continued, his voice low but unwavering.
"I've seen men break, entire organizations crumble under pressure, but Lyric… he endured. And not for glory, not for recognition—he did it because he believed it was right. Because he believed in protecting you, protecting Daniel, even if he never got the chance to tell you everything."
The room fell silent for a long moment, filled only with the echo of Ross's words and Ashley's shallow, uneven breaths.
She felt a strange mixture of pride and grief, awe and sorrow.
