"I don't know. But one thing I do know is who I love. That hasn't changed. Any other feeling… it doesn't matter. It'll fade. It has to."
Ava's anger slowly dissolved as she listened. The cold defiance in her expression gave way to something softer, sadder. She didn't speak for a while, unsure of how to say what was in her heart. But eventually, she found the words.
"Brother…" she said gently, "you have to come to terms with the fact that… that person might be gone forever."
As she expected, a flicker of resistance flashed across Arthur's face, stubborn, pained, and unmistakably angry. He looked away, jaw clenched. But she didn't stop.
"The whole world already sees that family as wiped out," she continued quietly. "If you keep holding out a candle for the dead… you'll never live. You'll be trapped in the dark, waiting for someone who may never return. You need to let go."
