Elara’s POVThe sound did not come again. We stood in the courtyard longer than necessary, both of us listening for something that might confirm what we had heard. Nothing followed. The air stayed still, and the movement around us continued without interruption.Ruin did not relax immediately.I could see the effort it took for him to remain where he was, to keep holding Aurelia instead of handing her back and moving toward the gates. His body had already prepared to act. The only thing stopping him was the choice he had made earlier.“One day,” I said quietly.He exhaled slowly, his gaze still fixed on the distance. “It could be nothing,” he replied.“It probably is,” I said.“That does not mean it is,” he added.I stepped closer to him, close enough that he could not pretend I was not part of the moment. “And if it is nothing, we will handle it,” I said. “But not before we know.”He looked at me then, really looked, not just reacting. There was tension in his expression, but there w
Read more