[Astrid P.O.V.}
The soft glow of the bedside lamp cast a warm amber hue over the room, its light dancing across the walls like a timid lover’s caress. The air was thick with anticipation, heavy with the scent of pine from the candles Atlas had lit earlier, their flickering flames casting shadows that seemed to whisper secrets across the ceiling. Atlas’s bedroom was a sanctuary, cozy and intimate, with a plush comforter draped over the bed and a scattering of pillows. Tonight, the air crackled with a tension that was both exhilarating and terrifying, a raw, primal energy that pulsed between us like a live wire.
I sat cross-legged on the edge of the bed, my fingers twisting nervously in the hem of my oversized sweater. My hair cascaded over my shoulders, shielding me from the world or myse
