The warmth of the tea in Irina's hands grounded her as she sat across from Astron. The quiet weight of his presence filled the room, the faint scent of lavender mixing with the rich aroma of the tea. Her initial embarrassment began to ebb, replaced by a lingering curiosity and a slow, creeping sense of recollection.
As she took another sip, her gaze flickered to Astron. His composure, his calm demeanor—it was impossible to ignore. And with it, fragments of last night began to piece themselves together in her mind.
She remembered the moment he had carried her, the strength in his arms as he navigated the hallways of the Emberheart Mansion. She'd been too exhausted to protest, her body too drained to do much more than rest against him. Yet, even in her haze of fatigue, she'd felt safe—an unfamiliar but comforting feeling.
