It was almost as if the more she moved away from the portal, the more things changed. That, or the plant life here was subtly shifting and changing before Celia's eyes. Whatever the case may be, the world around her seemed to become more and more phantasmal as she moved away from the portal, under the prelude of searching for her knight. Still, she found herself becoming more and more distracted by the changing scenery as she moved, until all thoughts of her search - and a time constraint - had been pushed to the back of her mind.
Even if she had been totally focused, Celia likely wouldn't have seen the knight, now that he had dedicated himself to hiding. When he lunged out and caught her by the wrist, the girl practically jumped out of her skin, letting out a soft cry of alarm. Memories of her family and their punishments immediately ran through her mind, and the knight's grip suddenly felt like a ring of fire around her wrist. Her breath came in short, ragged gasps, and Celia could feel her pulse racing, pounding in her ears and chest both. Almost on reflex, she reached out and grabbed his arm with her free hand, before tugging and pulling desperately, trying to get away. Her efforts quickly proved to be fruitless, though, given Rowan's strength.
After a few seconds Celia seemed to realise where she actually was, and calmed a little. She stopped fighting back against Rowan so much, and instead glanced up at him. She didn't expect the sheer anger in his eyes, the force with which he spoke, and flinched slightly. With her gaze fixated upon his face, she remained unaware of the fact that the gateway had already vanished.
"I'm sorry! I just...wanted to see you again. One last time, before you had to go. To see for myself that you were okay, after the state I found you in yesterday, and to thank you for the gifts" she muttered softly. When had she started crying? Celia wasn't quite sure. Not the ugly, heaving sobs one might expect, though. Just a few solitary tears, rolling down her cheeks. When she spoke again, her voice was softer still, barely more than a whisper.
"You're the first sign I've ever received that I'm not crazy. I couldn't just let you walk away"
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