Chapter 18. The Chase

With every step he took, his scorching gaze seemed to set the air around me ablaze, causing my skin to prickle with an unexpected warmth. My heart responded to his nearness, galloping within my chest like a wild stallion, its rhythm resonating in my ears like the steady beat of war drums. The room, previously alive with the chatter of elves, grew hushed in anticipation, as if the very earth itself held its breath.

My hand involuntarily found its way to my bouncing knee, and I could feel the dampness of my palm against my skin, a physical manifestation of the tension that coursed through my veins. The intensity of his gaze was unwavering, slicing through the silence like a blade. As he drew closer, his footfall crushed dry leaves beneath his boots, and my body instinctively tensed, every nerve on high alert.

The silence became an almost tangible presence, heavy with unspoken words and anticipation, as though the world itself was holding its breath in anticipation of what was to come. T