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With each step that took her away from Elio, Zara felt a part of herself being left behind. The young girl who had found her strength in the words of a skinny boy... it all seemed to be fading away.

But even in the midst of her pain, a part of Zara refused to give up. The strength that Elio had once awakened in her was still there, dormant but unbreakable.

Flare sensed her resolve, its scales shimmering with renewed strength.

'No,' she told herself, straightening her shoulders. 'I won't let this destroy me. I'm Zara. And I'll continue to be myself, with or without Elio.'

♢♢♢♢

Zara's fury was a living, pulsating thing.

She could feel the power coursing through her veins, the level 3 strength that allowed her to hold Lila against the wall as if she weighed nothing. A distant part of her mind marveled at how easy it would be to just…

Squeeze a little harder.

Flare, perched on her shoulder, blazed with an intensity that matched Zara's rage, keeping Lila's smaller salamander at bay.

Lila, for her part, felt completely defenseless.

Her level 1 was insignificant compared to Zara's overwhelming strength. With each passing second, she felt life slipping away a little more. Her golden salamander chirped weakly, unable to help against Flare's control.

With one last desperate effort, Lila managed to gather enough air to speak:

"Zara," she gasped, each word an agony. "If you want... to kill me... do it. But please... help my family.

And Elio."

Something in Lila's voice, in the raw and honest desperation it conveyed, penetrated the fog of anger clouding Zara's mind. Almost without realizing it, she slightly loosened her grip.

The change was subtle, but for Lila it was as if she'd been given a divine gift. Air flowed into her lungs in a painful but welcome rush.

She coughed and gasped, her body trembling with the effort of breathing.

Zara, still holding Lila against the wall but no longer actively strangling her, studied the girl's face. Confusion mixed with her anger.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, her voice still hard but with a touch of uncertainty.

Lila, seeing a small window of opportunity, hurried to explain between broken breaths:

"They're threatening... my family. My sister... they're going to give her to a horrible man... if I don't cooperate. But I don't want to hurt Elio.

I swear."

Every word seemed to cost her a monumental effort, her throat burning from the recent abuse.

But Lila knew this might be her only chance to reason with Zara.

Zara studied Lila's face, looking for signs of deception. But all she saw was pain, guilt, and genuine desperation. Flare's flames dimmed slightly, its aggression giving way to curiosity.

Slowly, as if fighting against herself, Zara began to lower Lila to the ground. The younger girl's feet touched the floor shakily, her legs barely able to support her. However, Zara maintained her grip on Lila's neck, a silent warning that this wasn't over yet.

"Explain," Zara ordered, her voice low and dangerous. "Now."

Lila, still panting and with tears running down her cheeks, nodded weakly between sobs and told Zara everything…

About her family's debt, Cassandra's threats, the emotional blackmail. With each word, the weight she had been carrying seemed to lighten a bit. Her salamander, emboldened by Zara's lessening hostility, began to glow more brightly.

"And now," Lila concluded, her voice broken, "I don't know what to do. I didn't want to betray Von Elio, but I can't abandon my family either."

Zara listened in silence, her initial anger slowly giving way to reluctant understanding. Although part of her wanted to hate Lila for putting Elio in danger, she couldn't ignore the girl's evident suffering. Flare, sensing Zara's shifting emotions, relaxed its aggressive stance.

"Why didn't you tell Elio?" Zara asked, her voice still hard but with a touch of genuine curiosity.

Lila shook her head. "I'm afraid, they could find out somehow, they have her captive. Afraid of what Cassandra might do to her and... Afraid that Elio would hate me. Now... I started to really get to know him, and everything became even more complicated."

Zara felt a pang of something she didn't want to identify as jealousy. "You fell in love with him..."

It wasn't a question, but Lila nodded anyway. "I didn't want it to happen. But Elio is... he's special."

Zara released Lila completely, taking a step back. The fury she had initially felt had transformed into a complex mix of emotions. Although she still distrusted Lila, she couldn't deny the sincerity of her pain when speaking of him. Flare, mirroring Zara's conflicted state, flickered between warm and cool hues.

"Listen," Zara finally said, her voice softer. "What you're doing is wrong and puts us in danger. You, your family, and Elio... In the end, the city too."

Lila nodded miserably. "I know. But I don't know how to get out of this."

Zara pressed her lips, frustrated. Part of her wanted to simply turn Lila in and end it all. But another part, the part that understood sacrifice and family love, hesitated. Flare chirped softly, as if offering its own opinion.

"I can't believe I'm going to say this," Zara muttered, more to herself than to Lila. Then, looking directly at the trembling girl in front of her, she said: "I'm going to help you fix this."

Lila looked at her, surprised. "What?"

"I'm not doing it for you," Zara quickly clarified. "I'm doing it for Elio, and because I know what it's like to want to protect someone at all costs."

"Thank you," Lila whispered, gratitude evident in her voice. Her salamander chirped softly, a tentative sound of appreciation.

"Don't thank me yet," Zara warned. "This isn't going to be easy. And if I find out you're lying to me or that you really want to hurt Elio..."

She left the threat hanging in the air, but Lila understood. She nodded vigorously. "I understand. I'll do whatever is necessary."

Zara studied her for a moment more before nodding. "Good. Now, let's go somewhere more private. We have a lot to plan."

Zara couldn't help but think about how strange all this was. Just a few minutes ago, she had been ready to seriously hurt Lila. Now, they were about to become unlikely allies. Flare and Lila's salamander exchanged cautious glances, as if unsure how to react to this sudden change in dynamics.

'The things I do for you, Elio', Zara thought, a mix of exasperation and affection in her mind. 'I hope you know how much you don't deserve this...'