The silence after the collective hug was dense - a silence that didn't require words, because every tear shed, every tremor in the arms that wrapped around him, said it all.
Kael kept his eyes closed, feeling the weight and warmth of the three bodies against his. The natural aura around them enveloped them like an invisible dome, drowning out the outside world. There was no time, mission or guilt. Only reunion.
Sylphie was the first to move, slowly, her fingers still entwined in the fabric of Kael's clothes. Her face was still damp, her eyes red, but now... there was something different. A faint glow. Hope.
She looked at Amelia, then at Irelia, and the three exchanged a silent glance that said, "He's here. For real. We're not alone anymore."
Kael broke the silence, his voice hoarse and low:
"I'm sorry I went off like that. It wasn't supposed to be like that. But if I'd told you what I was going to do... you would have tried to stop me."
