[Elara's POV]
How long would I have to hide behind someone saying he would protect me? I had asked myself this question before, but now there was no doubt.
If I wanted to fulfill my promise that I had made to Maya, I had to become stronger than this. I couldn't be weak anymore; I didn't deserve to be.
It only seemed like the beginning I saw was to break the seal that had kept her hidden and buried all this time. I had to accept my fears. Even if they haunted me, I had to face them; that's one true fact. I took a breath, the realization hitting me much harder.
"I don't want to be protected anymore," I whispered. "Not like this, not if it means staying sealed, staying weak."
