A new, steady confidence settles into my bones as my boots hit solid ground. Across the canyon, River and Ryder come into view, both slumped against a tree like exhaustion finally claimed its victory. Their shoulders are heavy. Their heads bowed.
Then River looks up.
“—No way,” he breathes.
Ryder’s head snaps up a second later.
For a heartbeat, neither of them moves. Their faces flicker through shock, disbelief, relief—emotions colliding andrearranging themselves too quickly to name. Then River scrambles to his feet so fast he nearly trips.
“You—” He laughs, wild and breathless. “You actually did it!”
My toes reach the cliff’s edge.
Before I can eventhinkabout the gap between us, the bridge begins to rebuild itself.
Ropes weave together midair, fibres twisting and tightening with swift, deliberate knots. Planks slide into place one by one, smoothing into a sturdy span that hums faintly beneath my feet. It’s stronger than before—solid, renewed—like the world itself recognises what’s changed inside me.
River lets out a triumphant shout, bouncing on his toes. “YES!” His laughter echoes across the canyon, unrestrained and bright.
Ryder doesn’t move.
He just watches me.
His eyes stay locked on mine—steady, searching, filled with something deeper than relief. Something raw. Something unguarded.
I don’t hesitate.
I run.
The bridge holds beneath my feet, and even if it hadn’t, I know—I know—the world would have caught me. I leap into Ryder’s arms, and he catches me easily, spinning once before pulling me into a fierce, grounding embrace that steals the air from my lungs.
“Thank you,” he breathes, voice rough against my hair.
I pull back just enough to see his face. His eyes are frantic and relieved all at once, like he hasn’t quite convinced himself I’m real.
“I haven’t even healed you yet,” I say, my brows knitting.
“No.” He shakes his head, a breathless laugh breaking free. “Thank you for not dying. I was sitting here losing my mind, thinking you weren’t—”
I cut him off with a kiss.
“I’m okay,” I whisper against his lips, then kiss him again. “I’m okay.”
A pointed throat-clearing interrupts us.
I giggle and step back. Ryder groans softly, rolling his eyes as River grins at us.
“I knew you could do it,” River says, pride warming his voice.
I pull him into a hug, squeezing tight before stepping back and looking between them.
“Thank you for not killing each other while I was gone.”
“There’s still time,” Ryder adds with a faint chuckle, and River scoffs, though his smile gives him away—
But the sound dies in his throat.
His expression shifts instantly, all warmth wiped away as his gaze snaps past me, sharpening with sudden alarm.
