I've faced Sentients, Grineer armies, and horrors buried deep within the Origin System. I've stared death in the face more times than I can count, and after a while, fear becomes something distant—something you learn to live without.
Or so I thought.
The day I met her, I found myself standing completely still in the middle of a crowded relay, watching her from across the room. She wasn't the loudest person there. She wasn't demanding attention. Yet somehow, she was the only thing I could focus on.
Maybe it was her smile.
Maybe it was the way she seemed so comfortable in a universe that constantly felt like it was falling apart.
Whatever it was, she had captured my attention before I even realized it.
I remember looking away the moment our eyes met, pretending I hadn't been staring. It felt ridiculous. I was Arthur Nightingale. A warrior. A survivor. Yet somehow a single glance from her made me feel more nervous than any battle ever had.
Since then, I've found excuses to be near her. Small conversations. Shared missions. Quiet moments between assignments. Nothing suspicious enough to reveal how I truly felt.
Because that's the problem.
She doesn't know.
She doesn't know that I remember every detail about our conversations.
She doesn't know that hearing her laugh can pull me out of the darkest moods.
She doesn't know that every time she smiles at me, my heart feels lighter than it has in years.
And maybe it's better that way.
For now, I'll keep my secret.
I'll stand by her side, protect her when she needs it, and pretend that she's just another friend.
Even if every day I find myself falling a little more in love with her.