She took her own deep breath, steeling herself against the onslaught of emotions before stepping forward into the elevator, turning around to face the doors with a blank expression. Giving in to all of this now was not an option.

"It's been seven years since the war started," she explained simply, her tone betraying nothing of the turmoil within her. Which, of course, would tell him everything. "It's hard to remember what life was like before." A lie. She remembered it perfectly, it just hurt too damn much.