Chapter 26 - 23: Don’t Leave Me Here
The journey back to New Eridu had been tense but uneventful. Section 6's return was marked by silence, the group weighed down by the events in the Outer Ring. Ellen, bruised and battered both physically and emotionally, was finally back in her quarters. Mira lay sound asleep in her bed, her small frame curled into the blankets. The child's breathing was steady, a soft rhythm that contrasted sharply with the storm brewing inside Ellen's mind.
Ellen sat on the floor beside the bed, her shark tail stretched out behind her. She leaned her head back against the edge of the mattress, her sharp eyes fixed on the ceiling. For a brief moment, the silence felt suffocating. She closed her eyes and let her thoughts take over.
It felt like no matter what she did, she never caught a break. Every time she found herself standing on solid ground, the world found a way to drag her under. First, the Hollows, then Mira, then the Outer Ring—one thing after another. Ellen's fists clenched as she thought of everything she had endured. The weight of her choices bore down on her, and it felt as if she were sinking again.
Her breathing quickened as the memories surged—faces of people she'd fought, Mira's transformation, and Miyabi's worried expression when she found them in the cave. Her mind screamed for reprieve, for even a moment of peace. But no matter how much she wanted to, she couldn't let go of the fear that it would all happen again.
A soft knock on her door broke through her spiraling thoughts. Ellen opened her eyes, momentarily disoriented, before pushing herself to her feet. She walked to the door and opened it to find Miyabi standing there.
Miyabi's expression struck Ellen immediately—her ears drooped slightly, and her usual confident demeanor was replaced with something softer, more vulnerable. She looked upset, but Ellen knew it wasn't directed at her. It was something deeper.
"Miyabi," Ellen said, her voice quiet, but her tone carried a weight of understanding. "What's wrong?"
Miyabi hesitated, her gaze flicking to the ground for a moment before meeting Ellen's eyes again. "Can we talk?"
Ellen stepped aside and motioned for Miyabi to come in. She closed the door behind her and gestured toward a chair, but Miyabi shook her head. Instead, she stood by the window, her arms crossed tightly, as if holding herself together.
The silence stretched for a few moments before Miyabi finally spoke. "I... I've been thinking about everything," she started, her voice trembling slightly. "About you, about what you've been through, and about what I should have done sooner."
Ellen raised an eyebrow, leaning back against the wall with her arm lying limp at her side. She didn't interrupt, sensing that Miyabi needed this moment to let everything out.