The crackling of the fire was the only sound I could hear, the rhythm of its flames dancing in my ears, steady and constant. The night air was cool, but the heat from the fire kept us warm. Alex sat beside me, his body slightly tense, but it wasn't the kind of tension I was used to. Not the kind of tension that came from fear or alertness, but the quiet kind that came from carrying too much. I knew that weight.

I kept my eyes on the dark horizon, pretending to watch for any sign of danger, but all I could focus on was Alex. I could feel the pull of him, the quiet ache in my chest when he shifted closer, the way he seemed to collapse in on himself as the weight of everything started to press down again.

I'd seen it all too many times before—Alex, hiding his emotions, putting on a brave face, pretending he didn't feel like he was barely holding himself together. But I knew better. He was carrying more than any person should have to, and I couldn't stand it.

I let out a breath, shifting slightly so that I was closer to him. The brush of my arm against his seemed to ground me, like if I could just get a little closer, I could protect him from whatever he was struggling with.

"You good?" I asked, trying to keep my voice casual, even though the question was loaded. It wasn't a question I asked lightly anymore. Not after everything.

Alex didn't answer right away. Instead, he let out a sigh, and I could feel the hesitation in his posture as if he was debating whether to say what was really on his mind. He was so used to hiding it, to pretending everything was okay for the sake of those around him. But I saw through that.

"I don't know," he muttered. The words were barely audible, but they hit me like a punch in the chest. "I just... it's a lot to deal with sometimes."

I nodded, swallowing hard. I understood that more than anyone. The weight of the world pressing down on you, all the guilt, all the fear, and not having anywhere to put it. The responsibility he felt—the need to protect everyone even when he couldn't protect himself. It made me want to scream.

"I get it," I said quietly, shifting closer, brushing my hand over his. He didn't pull away, and that was all the reassurance I needed. "You don't have to do this alone, Alex. I'm here."

His eyes flicked to mine, and I could see the raw emotion in them—he was trying to fight it, trying to keep it together, but I knew him too well. He didn't have to say it. I knew how much he was hurting, how scared he was that he was going to hurt someone else, especially me. I could see it in the way his eyes searched mine, looking for an answer he didn't know how to ask for.

"I don't know how to control it," Alex whispered, looking down at his hands. "What if I hurt you? Or Lyra? Or Finn?"

I wanted to pull him into my arms, to tell him that none of this was his fault, that I didn't care about his powers, I cared about him. But I didn't say that. I couldn't make those promises in the way he wanted. What I could give him was a sense of safety—a promise that I wouldn't leave him.

"Alex," I said, voice firm but soft. "You won't hurt anyone. Not unless you let the fear take control." I could feel the words tumbling out before I could stop them, but they felt right. He needed to hear them. "You're not alone in this, okay? We're all in this together. We'll figure it out."

His gaze met mine again, and this time, I saw the weight begin to lift from his shoulders, if only a little. "I don't deserve you," he murmured, and it broke me.

"Don't say that," I whispered, leaning in. His scent—earth and wood from the forest—wrapped around me like a lifeline. "You deserve everything good in this world, Alex. Don't doubt that."

Before I could think, I kissed him—softly at first, testing. But when he didn't pull away, when his hands slid into my hair and he leaned into the kiss, I deepened it. This kiss wasn't about power or control. It was a reminder—reminder that we had each other, no matter what came next. That no matter how hard things got, we wouldn't be facing it alone.

When we pulled apart, I rested my forehead against his, my fingers still tangled in his hair. I couldn't imagine living a life without him. Not after everything we'd been through. Not after everything we'd survived. And I would keep surviving it, with him by my side.

"Always," I whispered against his lips.

Alex smiled, a small, shy smile that made my heart swell. It was the kind of smile that told me he was starting to believe in us. He was starting to believe that we would make it through whatever came next.

"I love you," he said, his voice barely a breath. But it felt like everything.

"I love you too," I whispered back.

I pulled him into my arms, holding him close as we both let the world fade away. In this moment, there was nothing else. Just us.

And for the first time in a long while, I believed it. Everything would be okay.