Lucas opened his eyes slightly, the faint glow in them dimming. "I… I couldn't reach her," he whispered, his voice faint and hoarse. "The spatial link broke the moment I tried to pull her through. I couldn't…" He coughed again, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth. "If I had tried harder, all of you would've been lost."
"That's not an excuse!" Seraphine snapped, her eyes glassy with tears. "You should've...."
"Enough!" Selene's voice thundered through the small room. Her words were fierce and laced with anger. "Do you even hear yourself? If he hadn't done what he did, we'd all be captives right now! He's dying because he saved you, because he saved all of us!"
Seraphine froze, her lips parting but no words coming out.
Selene took a step closer, her voice softening but still firm. "Do you think she would want him to die just so you could soothe your guilt? Do you think she'd be proud if we threw away our lives because of emotion?"
