"Papa..."
Elara looked from Lila's kind face to Riku's steady gaze. She took a deep breath, and the fear in her eyes was slowly replaced by rising determination.
"No," she said, her voice surprisingly firm for someone who had endured so much. "I… I have to go."
"Are you sure, Elara?" Riku asked. "It could be dangerous."
She straightened her small shoulders. "That place… it took my papa. And it made me like this." She gestured to her marked skin.
"If there's any chance of finding out what happened to him, or what these marks mean… I have to know." Her eyes, though still shadowed with trauma, held new resolve. "And… you both saved me. You're going into that awful place because of me. I can't just… I can't let you go alone. I know the way to the clearing. I can guide you."
Lila looked at Riku, a silent question in her eyes. Riku met Elara's determined gaze. He saw fear, yes, but also a courage that belied her age and recent ordeal.
