[Aubrey rereads the message. Again. Again. Several times over.

[It’s hardly the first time Venat’s words have rung through her soul. It might be the first she’s been truly ready to take that in, to sit with it and feel what it means to not surrender. To not want anyone else to, ever—and hang on, if only for them.

[To keep searching for something, no matter what.

[There’s a good delay before she responds.]

Thank you.

I really mean that. I don’t know if I’ve told you this, but a lot of what you’ve said to me... I think about it all the time. I know I’ll be doing the same for this. And I don’t know if I have answers yet, but...

People like you are my light.