Chapter 23:Shadows At Dawn
The fire had burned down to a faint glow by the time Aria stirred. She blinked against the cool hush of morning, the forest still draped in mist. For a moment she forgot where she was, lulled by the steady rhythm of Kael’s breathing beside her. He hadn’t slept long—she could see the dark smudges under his eyes, the tension still etched in his shoulders even as he sat with his back against a tree, gaze scanning the trees as though every shadow might spring to life. “You stayed awake,” she murmured. His lips curved faintly, though it wasn’t a smile. “Old habits.” Aria shifted, pulling her cloak tighter around herself. The cold bit sharper than it had the night before, but she said nothing of it. What unsettled her wasn’t the chill—it was the silence. Too clean, too watchful. “Kael…” she
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