"Listen to me," Noah said. "We don't try because trying always works."
He drew back enough to look at her wet face.
"We try because the alternative is going along with the monsters. That thing, that monster responsible, believes existence is just a meal that hasn't been eaten yet. Every time we heal something, protect something, love something, we are telling him no. Sometimes he wins anyway. But if we stop trying, he doesn't have to win anymore, because we'll have already handed him everything. And I don't hand my things to anyone."
Seo-yeon hiccupped against him, listening.
"And you're wrong about one thing," he continued, softer now. "You said you have nothing. You have me. You've had me since that pinky promise not long ago. But I think it's time it became bigger than a promise." He held her small shoulders.
