The world around Nia seemed to pulse with energy, a swirling mix of colors and echoes. The Heart had finally settled, its power now intertwined with hers, but despite the weight of the decision she had just made, her mind felt strangely distant. Her heart still ached from the tension between Jax and Eli, and the uncertainty of what lay ahead. There was a lot to process, but one thing was certain: things had changed, irrevocably.

As the light around them dimmed, and the reality of their surroundings became clear again, Nia found herself standing on the edge of a vast, open expanse a place that felt like the center of everything, yet somehow apart from the worlds she had written. Jax and Eli were standing on either side of her, the silence between them thick with unspoken words.

Eli shifted beside her, his usual calmness replaced by an unmistakable nervous energy. She noticed the way his hands trembled slightly, the way his gaze lingered on her just a moment too long. It wasn’t just the usual tension from their mission it was something different, something personal.

“Hey, Nia,” Eli’s voice was quieter than usual, tinged with hesitation. “Can we talk for a minute?”

Nia turned to him, offering a small but warm smile. She was about to ask what was on his mind when he spoke again, cutting her off.

“I’ve been meaning to say something for a while now,” Eli continued, his eyes avoiding hers for a moment before meeting her gaze directly. “I’ve been acting... strange lately, I know. I guess I’ve been trying to figure out how to say this.” He took a deep breath, his expression unreadable. “Nia, the truth is… I’ve been feeling something for a long time. Something more than friendship. And I think it’s time I told you.”

Nia’s heart skipped a beat. She knew what was coming. She had sensed it in the way Eli had started acting differently more protective, more distant at times, but also more vulnerable. She had always felt the quiet strength in him, his unwavering support, but this was something new. Something that she wasn’t sure how to handle.

Eli stepped a little closer, his voice barely above a whisper. “I care about you, Nia. More than I probably should. And I think I’ve been so... focused on this mission, on everything that’s been happening, that I’ve been trying to ignore it. But I can’t anymore. I don’t want to be just your friend. I want to be more than that. I need to know... do you feel the same way?”

Nia’s heart ached as she listened to him, and for a moment, the world around her seemed to slow down. She looked at Eli, his eyes full of longing and vulnerability, and a rush of emotions washed over her. She cared about him, of course he had been her constant, the one person she could always rely on. But the connection between them wasn’t the kind he was hoping for. And in that moment, Nia knew that her feelings, no matter how much she wished they were different, didn’t match his.

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She took a step back, her breath catching in her throat. The words were stuck, but she had to say them, no matter how much it hurt.

“Eli...” She reached for his hand, gently placing it in her own, but not with the warmth he might have hoped for. “You’ve always been there for me. You’re my anchor, my friend. But…” She paused, looking down at their joined hands. “I don’t feel the same way. I can’t... I can’t return those feelings.”

The silence between them stretched out, and Nia’s heart twisted. She could see the pain in Eli’s eyes, the hope flickering and then fading in an instant. But she knew she had to be honest with him if they were going to move forward, they couldn’t continue pretending that things could be different than they were.

“I care about you so much,” Nia continued softly, her voice trembling a little, “but it’s not the way you want me to. You’re my best friend, Eli, and that’s all I can offer right now. I don’t want to hurt you, but I can’t give you what you’re asking for.”

Eli’s gaze dropped to the ground, his jaw tightening. For a long moment, neither of them spoke. Nia could feel the distance between them growing, but she knew it wasn’t something that could be fixed with words. Not now. Not in this moment.

Finally, Eli nodded slowly, though the pain was still there, evident in the way he clenched his fists at his sides. “I understand,” he said, his voice quiet but resolute. “I guess I knew, deep down. I just... I had to say it, you know?”

Nia gave him a small, sad smile, her heart breaking for him. “I’m sorry, Eli. I never wanted to hurt you.”

“I know,” Eli replied, his tone softer now, though there was a trace of sadness in his eyes. “It’s not your fault. I’ll be okay. We’ll get through this. We always do.”

And for the first time in days, the air between them.

Nia stood there, her heart aching as Eli took a step back, his expression unreadable. There was an awkward silence between them, heavy with the weight of unspoken emotions. She wished she could ease his pain, but she knew there was nothing she could say to make it better. This moment was inevitable, a conversation that had to happen, no matter how difficult.

Eli shifted his weight from one foot to the other, looking at the ground for a moment before lifting his gaze to meet hers. "It's okay, Nia," he said quietly, his voice tinged with resignation. "I don’t expect you to feel the same way. I just... I needed to tell you. I needed you to know."

Nia nodded, the lump in her throat making it hard to speak. "Thank you for being honest with me, Eli. You mean so much to me, and I don’t want to lose you as my friend."

Eli forced a small smile, though it didn’t reach his eyes. "You won’t lose me. I’ll always be here for you, Nia. Always."

With that, he turned and walked away, his back straight, but there was a sense of finality in his steps. Nia watched him go, feeling the painful

shift in their relationship, knowing that things would never be quite the same.