“Of course you don’t, because you haven’t been trained properly. Cintra has always been adept at offering only the bare minimum to her students, whilst I offer them the fulness of the truth. Not every weapon is used to kill. There are those whose purpose is to save too. You should know that as well as anyone, Soraya. Now say your goodbyes and come with me.” With that, the woman left the clearing, gliding through the forest with ease, as though its vines, roots and brambles couldn’t touch her even if they wanted to.

“Is she telling the truth?” Sunny said. Her tone was guarded, as though she wasn’t willing to believe anything she was told, not after she’d been let down so many times already.

Just then, Seela sat up. “I feel better,” she said.

Soraya gazed in wonder at the woman. Before her very eyes, her wounds were closing. “I think so. She has no reason to lie.”

“It’s true,” Seela said. “I don’t know how I know this, but I won’t become the nightdemon anymore.”

Sunny lifted her arms, as though to wrap them around Seela, but then hesitated, like she was afraid of breaking her. Seela laughed and practically leapt into Sunny’s arms, squeezing her so tightly Soraya wondered if it would be Sunny that burst instead. She couldn’t help but smile at the sight. After so much fear and death, a bit of joy was more than welcome.

When they separated, both women stood, hand in hand, to face her.

“I should go,” Soraya said. “I need to get Shim to someone who can help him.” She started to turn away, afraid to draw out this moment any longer, not wanting to face these women’s disappointment in how much she’d failed them.

“You can’t leave without a proper goodbye,” Sunny said, stopping her.

“Yes,” Seela agreed. “We will always remember you. The one who dared to hope. The one who chose not to kill a monster, who could see the woman trapped inside.”

Soraya was so moved by the women’s words that she felt tears prick at her eyes. “I will always count you as friends,” she said, eyes passing between them before settling on Sunny. “Both of you.”

Sunny was the first to hug her. Soraya exclaimed, “Oh!” when she was lifted off her feet by the woman’s strength but was laughing by the time she was placed back on the ground. Seela was next, her embrace more tender. “Thank you,” she whispered in her ear.

Soraya was too emotional to trust her own voice, so she only nodded and offered a small wave as she made her way into the forest, following the direction in which Sinna had departed earlier.

And, despite knowing Shim was still unconscious somewhere, for the first time in a while she felt like everything was going to be alright.