POV: Aria
The morning after Kael’s confession was quiet, too quiet. The packhouse buzzed with activity, but I felt like I was moving through a world muted by fog. His words echoed in my mind, relentless: "I feel something—but I don’t trust it."
It hurt more than I expected. Not because he didn’t trust me, but because he didn’t trust us—the bond that pulsed in my chest like a second heartbeat. I had cracked open my soul for him, scarred it for him, and still, he stood at a distance.
I couldn’t blame him. The curse didn’t just cloud his heart—it built walls around it, ancient and cruel. But knowing the why didn’t ease the ache.
I didn’t see Kael at breakfast. His chair remained empty as I stirred my tea with a spoon I wasn’t really holding, eyes locked on the knot in the wooden table. I
