Liam's POV
Song: "Never Let Me Go" – Florence and The Machine
"Zeke?" I called out softly.
I couldn't see him clearly at first — my vision was still hazy from the magic and exhaustion — but I didn't need to. I could smell him.
He smelled like time itself — old parchment, faded roses, and the faintest whisper of iron, like a blade that hadn't tasted blood in years, yet remembered every drop. And beneath all of that… there it was — the subtle, clean edge of mint and the quiet warmth of home. As if, despite centuries buried in darkness, some part of him had still clung to love.
He smelled like home. A scent I could never forget. A memory I would carry into every storm.
And just as I'd hoped — just as I'd dared to believe — he appeared, stepping out of the fading shadows in front of me.
He looked… different.
Worn.
