• Ellie Williams

Seven years.

Seven years since I last saw Ellie.

That day, during a patrol, she simply disappeared. I spent hours searching for her, ignoring orders, calling her name until my voice gave out. When I finally found the place where she should have been... all that remained were bloodstains and signs of a struggle.

Before I could continue searching, I was forcibly dragged away by a group of soldiers. They took me away against my will.

Days later, I learned that the entire forest had been consumed by a fire.

For a long time, I refused to believe it.

Then... I started to accept the idea that Ellie might have died in that place.

But I never stopped missing her.

Now, seven years later, I was imprisoned again. My hands were tightly bound to a chair while a soldier muttered something I wasn't even paying attention to anymore.

"Stay quiet."

Before he finished the sentence, I heard a sharp thud behind me.

The man fell to the ground without even being able to react.

A stranger appeared soon after, quickly kneeling in front of me.

"Hey... calm down." The voice came out firm, but strangely familiar. "Are you okay?"

She reached for the ropes that bound my wrists, hurriedly untying the knots.

"Those bastards..." he muttered.

As soon as my hands were free, she carefully held my wrists, noticing the bruises left by the rope.

"Can you move your hands?"

I didn't answer.

I could only stare at her.

She frowned, not understanding my silence.

"Hey..."

Then he brought one of his hands to my face to examine a small cut on my cheek.

Her fingers froze.

Our eyes met.

Her breath caught in her throat.

"...no..." she whispered, almost in disbelief.

His eyes slowly scanned my face, as if trying to separate reality from a dream.

"Sophie...?"

And perhaps fate was simply giving us a second chance.