The blinding golden light at the tip of her staff slowly faded, leaving only thin wisps of warm, radiant mana drifting into the freezing air.
Emma leapt down from the craggy ridge with practiced, feather-light agility, her light battle robes fluttering against the sulfurous wind.
The moment her boots hit the frozen highway, her eyes locked straight onto mine.
The stoic, focused expression of a battle-mage dissolved into sheer, unadulterated joy.
"Jin!"
She didn't care about the burnt demon corpses or the staring escort guards. She sprinted across the blood-stained gravel, throwing her arms around my neck and burying her face into my shoulder.
The familiar, comforting scent hit me instantly. I wrapped my arms around her waist, holding her close as a wave of genuine relief washed over me.
"You're alive... you're really alive," Emma whispered, her voice trembling as she squeezed me tightly.
