Third Person's POV
The young lad felt a lump form in his throat as he watched the reunion, his heart swelling with a bittersweet ache. He had done what he set out to do—he had saved the children and brought them back to their families. But he knew that his work wasn't over.
Everyone was safe, but the men who had taken those children were still out there, and they needed to be stopped. The young lad couldn't rest until he knew that no other child would have to endure what Theo and the others had gone through.
As the sun continued to rise over Vaeri, bathing the village in golden light, the young lad turned and began to walk away. He had a new mission now, and he would see it through to the end, no matter what it took.
But for now, he allowed himself a moment of peace, knowing that at least for today, he had made a difference. The battle wasn't over, but the children were safe. And that was enough to keep him going, one step at a time.