72. Weight of Choices

|| Lilac's POV || Elara didn’t hesitate. She moved to sit beside me, her arm wrapping around my shoulders in a comforting embrace. “Talk to me,” she said, her tone gentle but firm. I wanted to tell her everything— about the Moon Goddess’s vision, about the destruction I had seen, about the fear that was eating me alive. But the words caught in my throat, and all that came out was a single name. “Alaric.” Elara sighed, her expression a mix of frustration and sympathy. “Gosh, Lil. If you like him that much, why are you still looking for a soulmate?” she asked, her voice tinged with exasperation. I couldn’t reply. My throat felt tight, my chest heavy with emotions I couldn’t put into words. I just sat there, numb, staring at the cold cup of coffee in front of me. Elara leaned back, her arms crossed over her chest as she studied me. “I mean, this is ridiculous,” she said, her tone sharper now. “You’re clearly head over heels for him, and he’s clearly obsessed with you. So what’s the proble