Lana
"…Rae."
That voice stopped the entire world.
I wanted to smile. To speak. But in that moment, I was simply standing there in the middle of hundreds of eyes, and… time seemed to freeze for two names pulled from the past.
"Yae?" My voice was soft, almost disbelieving.
The tiger beaskin stepped forward slowly. Her eyes were sharp, fierce as ever—but not for me. Never for me. On that hardened face, a small smile formed.
"Rae… you…" She paused, her breath a little shaky. "You're alive."
I nearly laughed. "Of course I'm alive. Sorry I disappeared without saying anything."
Yae glanced briefly at Rhydan—the flirt who always used to find excuses to 'accidentally' touch me.
He clicked his tongue, eyes narrowing in disbelief.
"So this is why you vanished? Running with the Thronshade?" He crossed his arms, though that mischievous grin of his returned. "Damn. I didn't expect you to be human and not a fox shifter. That's... seriously shocking."
