The room was quiet, save for the crackle of embers in the hearth. Alina sat on the edge of the small cot, her hands trembling slightly as she traced the faint glow of her mark. Even after the events in the corridor and the lingering Veil presence, she felt… alive. Raw, powerful, and painfully aware of Kael just a few feet away.
He leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, the shadows cutting across his face in ways that made him impossible to read. The glow from the mark reflected in his sharp eyes, highlighting the tension in his jaw and the curve of his mouth that promised control and danger in equal measure.
“Focus,” he said, voice low, smooth, commanding. The single word made her pulse spike. He didn’t step closer, not yet, but the strength in his presence filled the room like a ti
