Chapter Text
There isn’t much left of Adar’s heart. Not anymore.
It remains a mystery even to him what forces compelled him to act. He has done unspeakable things cruelty so deep it carved hollows into his very soul. And yet… he could not walk away.
Not when he heard your cries for help.
The men had descended upon you before you even sensed their presence. Rough hands shoved you to the ground, pinning your arms, your legs, your breath. You heard them rifling through your pack, heard the crude laughter as they argued over what else they might take.
Your mind raced. You tried to fight, to scream, but terror strangled your voice. Hot tears slipped free, blurring the world into shapeless smears.
And then-
Silence.
No more jeering, no more footsteps, no more panting breath above you.
Only the sound of something heavy falling… and something warm splattering across your clothes.
The weight crushing your body lifted. You gasped, pulling air into your lungs as if for the first time in hours. Trembling, you pushed yourself up, your vision still foggy with tears.
A tall figure stood before you, framed in the dim light long dark hair, broad shoulders, a presence that felt both ancient and terrifyingly familiar. You blinked hard, forcing your sight to clear.
The men who had attacked you lay scattered across the ground, motionless or writhing faintly in their last painful breaths.
A hand appeared in front of you, pulling you from your shock.
You followed its path upward and froze.
A scarred face, sharp and severe.
Pointed ears slipping through strands of dark hair.
And in the midst of that harsh visage… eyes that were unexpectedly soft.
His lips moved. He was speaking to you asking something, perhaps reassuring you but you heard nothing. Only a dull ringing filled your ears, as if the world itself had gone distant.
“Th–thank you,” you managed to choke out. The rest of your words dissolved into sobs, your throat tightening until you could barely breathe.
Before you could think better of it, you leaned forward and threw your arms around his neck.
Adar went still. Completely still.
It had been ages an eternity since anyone had touched him without fear or hatred.
Your tears soaked into his shoulder.
For a heartbeat, maybe two, he hesitated…
and then you felt his hand rise, hovering uncertainly before it settled against your back in a gesture so gentle it almost broke him.