I slipped back into the castle as quietly as possible, my heart still racing from the events of the night. The corridors were dimly lit, and the faint echoes of my footsteps seemed unnaturally loud.
I moved with caution, avoiding the occasional patrolling guards and taking hidden passageways I had discovered during my short stay. Finally, I reached my room and slipped inside, closing the door softly behind me.
I leaned against the door for a moment, my mind spinning with everything that had happened. The kiss with Aurelia, the intense conversation, the promises we made to each other. It felt surreal, like a dream I was afraid to wake up from.
My heart ached with a mixture of joy and sorrow—joy that Aurelia was back in my life, and sorrow for the time we had lost and the pain we had endured.
