Mika thought about how much Astrid had suffered in the past.
All the trauma she had gone through.
The way it had fundamentally changed her—twisted her from that bright, loving little girl into the cold, distant commander she was today.
He couldn't help but feel horrible.
If he had been stronger back then—if he had been the person he was now—he could have prevented it all.
He could have saved not just her life, but her innocence.
Her childish joy. Her love for demi-humans. Her warm, open heart toward her own family.
All of that had been destroyed in that forest.
And she had become someone else entirely.
But then he stopped himself and looked at Astrid.
She was sitting there on the couch, her lap serving as his throne, one of her tails gently stroking his hair while she hummed a soft tune.
There was a satisfied, almost dreamy smile on her face—genuine and warm and happy.
And in that moment, Mika realized something.
Astrid wasn't gone.
