Lucia stood before Nicholo, emotions swirling in her chest like a tempest. It had been so long, yet the connection between them was undeniable. She could see it in his eyes, the pain of their separation mingled with relief that she was here, standing before him, alive and well. The weight of all that had happened, all that had been lost and found again, hung heavy in the air between them.
Nicholo opened his mouth, as if to say something—perhaps to tell her how he had never given up hope, or to ask the questions that had haunted him since her disappearance. But before he could speak, a commotion echoed through the den. The sound of footsteps, fast and frantic, came from the passage leading deeper into the cave. Lucia turned just in time to see two familiar figures sprinting toward her.
"L
