As we finished breakfast, the laughter still hung in the air, light and easy between us. Leora had left us in relative peace after thoroughly embarrassing both Ciara and me with her endless teasing, but the echo of her words lingered.
I glanced at Ciara, who was absently twirling a piece of toast in her hand, clearly lost in thought.
"What's on your mind?" I asked, nudging her leg under the table.
She blinked and looked at me with a smile, the kind that melted every nerve in my body.
"Just thinking about how nice this is," she replied. "You, me, not being chased by demons or running from one mission to the next."
"Nice is a good word for it." I leaned back, stretching a little, feeling the peacefulness of the moment. But I could sense something else simmering beneath the surface Ciara was rarely so quiet, and her mind seemed to be working on something.
"Okay," I said, narrowing my eyes at her in mock suspicion. "What are you really thinking about? You're not the type to just sit still and enjoy the quiet. Spill it."
Ciara laughed, the sound low and sweet.
She leaned forward, propping her elbows on the table and looking at me with those piercing eyes of hers. "Alright, you got me. I was thinking about us."
I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Us?"
"Yeah. You know... everything. From where we started, how we ended up here. It's... surreal." She seemed to hesitate for a moment before continuing. "And maybe I'm thinking about how to keep this going. How to not mess it up."
I blinked, surprised. Ciara was confident in everything she did, but this this was vulnerability, something I hadn't seen much of in her. I leaned forward, placing my hand over hers on the table.
"You're not going to mess it up. We're figuring it out together, right? One step at a time."
Her smile grew softer, warmer, and for a moment, I felt like I was seeing a side of Ciara that was just for me a side that no one else got to witness. "Yeah," she said, her voice almost a whisper. "One step at a time."
The moment hung between us, heavy with unspoken words and shared understanding. But just as I was about to say something, the door to the dining room creaked open. Leora's head poked in, her mischievous grin returning in full force.
"Oh no, please continue," Leora teased, waving her hand in mock apology. "I just came to let you know that, if you two are done having heart-to-hearts, I've got a surprise planned."
Ciara groaned, rolling her eyes. "A surprise? Should I be worried?"
Leora shrugged dramatically. "That depends. Do you trust me?"
"No."
"Fair enough!" she said, her grin widening. "But trust me when I say, you're going to love this."
I exchanged a glance with Ciara, who looked at me with raised eyebrows. Leora's surprises could range from relatively harmless to downright chaotic. "I don't know if I'm emotionally prepared for whatever you've got in store," I said.
"Too late for that, darling!" Leora chirped before disappearing from the doorway, leaving us both staring after her.
Ciara sighed and got up, her hand still holding onto mine as she stood. "I guess we better go find out what she's cooked up."
We made our way through the winding halls of the castle, passing by grand tapestries and intricate carvings that lined the walls.
As we approached one of the larger rooms at the far end of the castle, I could hear the muffled sound of voices one of which was undoubtedly Leora's. Ciara squeezed my hand slightly, as if to brace me for whatever awaited us.
When we stepped into the room, I immediately understood why Leora was so smug.
In the center of the vast, beautifully decorated chamber was an elaborate... obstacle course?
There were ropes hanging from the ceiling, moving platforms, and a series of bizarre challenges that looked like something out of an ancient warrior's training ground. At the far end, there was a large target painted on the wall, with several throwing knives sticking out of it.
"Ta-da!" Leora announced, spreading her arms wide. "I present to you—my ultimate couples' bonding course!"
Ciara's jaw dropped. "Are you serious?"
"Completely!" Leora grinned. "I figured if you're going to be spending all this time together, why not make it fun?"
I stared at the contraption, part of me in disbelief, part of me highly amused. "Leora, this looks like a death trap."
"Only if you lack finesse," she replied with a wink. "Which, fortunately for you two, I don't."
Ciara turned to me, shaking her head with a look of disbelief. "I should've known."
"Hey, it could be fun," I said, nudging her playfully. "And who knows? Maybe we'll become the most coordinated couple in the kingdom by the end of it."
She sighed but couldn't hold back the small smile that crept across her lips. "You're ridiculous, you know that?"
"I try."
Leora clapped her hands. "Alright! Now that you're both here and looking very much in love, let's get started. The first challenge is simple you need to make it across the moving platforms without falling into the, uh... metaphorical lava."
Ciara shot me a look. "Metaphorical?"
Leora shrugged. "Well, technically it's just water, but lava sounds cooler."
I burst out laughing, unable to contain it any longer. The sheer absurdity of the situation was too much. "I guess we have no choice, do we?"
"Nope!" Leora grinned wickedly. "And remember, teamwork makes the dream work."
Ciara groaned but took a step forward, her hand still clasped in mine. "Fine. Let's get this over with."
The obstacle course was, surprisingly, not as impossible as it seemed. Ciara, being naturally agile and strong, led the way, pulling me across each platform and making sure I didn't slip. But of course, Leora couldn't resist adding in her own commentary.
"Come on, Ciara! Show her how it's done! Or are you too distracted by her gorgeous smile?" Leora's voice echoed through the room, and I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks.
Ciara muttered something under her breath but kept going, her hand steady and reassuring in mine. We made it to the other side without too much difficulty, but I was breathless from both the exertion and the laughter that followed.
Leora applauded dramatically as we reached the final platform. "Congratulations, lovebirds! You're officially a power couple!"
Ciara turned to me, shaking her head, but her eyes were filled with affection. "I can't believe we actually did that."
"See?" I teased. "Teamwork."
She smiled, leaning in to give me a quick kiss on the forehead. "You're lucky I like you."
"Likewise."
Leora cleared her throat, breaking the moment. "As much as I enjoy watching this romantic comedy unfold, I've got another surprise for you two."
Ciara groaned. "Leora, please. Can't we just have one peaceful morning?"
"Where's the fun in that?" she replied with a grin, pulling out a small, glittering object from her pocket.
"What's that?" I asked, eyeing the mysterious object.
Leora smirked, holding it up for us to see. "Oh, this? It's just a little... something to spice up your next date."
Ciara and I exchanged wary glances. "Leora..." Ciara began, but before she could finish her sentence, the glittering object started to glow brightly.
"Oops!" Leora said with feigned innocence. "I guess you'll have to find out what it does later."
The room was filled with a sudden flash of light, and when it faded, I found myself standing in a completely different place.
Ciara and I were in the middle of a forest clearing, surrounded by towering trees and sunlight streaming through the leaves. Leora, of course, was nowhere to be seen.
"Where are we?" I asked, looking around in confusion.
Ciara sighed, rubbing her temples. "I have no idea. But something tells me this is Leora's idea of a joke."
I stared at the beautiful, peaceful surroundings, and despite the chaos of the morning, I couldn't help but laugh. "Well, at least it's pretty."
Ciara looked at me, her frustration slowly melting away. "Yeah, I guess it is."
As we stood there, taking in the serene beauty of the forest, a thought crossed my mind. "So... what do you think the surprise is?"
Ciara looked down at me, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Knowing Leora? It could be anything."
Just then, a low growl echoed from behind the trees, making both of us freeze. I turned slowly, eyes wide as I scanned the forest for the source of the sound.
Ciara groaned again. "I swear, if Leora summoned a demon to 'spice things up,' I'm going to kill her."
And just like that, the peaceful moment vanished, replaced with the unsettling realization that our chaotic morning wasn't over yet.
"Ciara..." I whispered, clutching her arm. "Please tell me you know what that is."
She stared into the trees, her body tensing. "I have no idea."
And then the growling grew louder.