Jane didn't let go.
Even after the surge had faded and the lights steadied, her fingers were still clenched in Levi's clothing—her metal arm locked tight, servos faintly whining under the strain. The cold alloy pressed awkwardly against Levi's side, unmoving compared to Jane's trembling flesh-and-blood arm.
Levi stayed exactly where she was.
She didn't rush. Didn't pull away. One arm remained wrapped firmly around Jane's back, the other resting between her shoulders, anchoring her. Levi's wings curved inward slightly, not fully shielding—just enough to block the world.
"You're safe," Levi murmured, her voice low and steady. "I've got you."
Jane pressed her face against Levi's chest, careful without thinking—afraid of the metal, afraid of hurting her. Her breaths came uneven. "I thought I was going to lose myself," she whispered. "I could feel it trying to take over. I didn't know how to stop it."
Levi's hand moved slowly, gently, tracing small grounding circles against Jane's back. "You did stop it," she said. "You fought it. That matters."
Jane shook her head weakly. "It didn't feel like fighting. It felt like drowning."
Levi shifted slightly, guiding them both down to sit more securely on the floor. Jane followed without resistance, curling closer, instinctively pulling her metal arm in as if ashamed of it.
Levi noticed.
She reached down and took Jane's robotic hand without hesitation.
The contrast was stark—cold steel against warm demon skin—but Levi didn't flinch. She laced her fingers through the articulated joints, holding it just as firmly as Jane's other hand.
"You don't have to hide this from me," Levi said quietly.
Jane's breath caught. "It's heavy. And ugly. And sometimes it doesn't respond fast enough. Sometimes I forget it's there and—"
"And it saved your life," Levi interrupted gently. "Just like you saved mine."
Jane looked up, eyes faintly glowing, searching Levi's face. "Even now? Even with… all of this?" She lifted the metal arm slightly, the faint hum of tech audible in the silence.
Levi met her gaze fully. There was no fear in her gold eyes—only certainty.
"Especially now."
Jane's shoulders sagged as something inside her finally gave way. She leaned back into Levi, resting her head against her collarbone, metal arm still held safely between them.
"I don't know what I'm becoming," Jane whispered.
Levi rested her chin lightly atop Jane's head. "Then we will learn together."
Jane hesitated. "What if one day I hurt you?"
Levi's arms tightened just a fraction, wings shifting protectively. "Then I will still be here. Hurt does not erase love, Jane. And it does not make you unworthy of it."
Jane went still.
"…You said love."
Levi didn't take it back.
She only adjusted her grip, holding Jane more securely—metal, magic, scars and all. "Rest," she said softly. "Your body has endured enough for one night."
Jane nodded against her, exhaustion finally winning. Her grip loosened, but she didn't let go—not fully.
The corridor remained quiet. Mira, Ryn, Lena, and Harrow watched from afar, understanding without words that this moment was not to be interrupted.
For now, there was no dungeon. No Shax. No war.
Only two souls—one ancient, one broken and becoming—holding each other together while the world waited.
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