The night had fallen swiftly, wrapping the world in a cloak of shadows. The fire crackled softly in the hearth, casting dancing shadows on the cabin’s wooden walls. Giana sat near the warmth of the fire, her mind still racing with everything that had happened. The tension between them, the danger that loomed just outside the walls of their little sanctuary—it all seemed to swirl around them, invisible but palpable.
Cassio had disappeared again, stepping out into the dark to check the perimeter. She hadn’t seen him for hours now, and as much as she told herself to be strong, the quiet ache in her chest grew with every passing minute. Her mind kept returning to what he had said earlier—about his past, about the danger they were in—and she couldn’t help but wonder if there was more to him th
