The sun had just started to dip below the horizon, casting a soft, golden hue over the palace gardens. It was the kind of serene beauty that would normally calm Eirik, but today it only served as a painful reminder of the turmoil inside him.
He walked slowly, his steps heavy, knowing that every step he took was bringing him closer to the moment he dreaded. Behind him, Sadiki followed in silence. The tension between them was extraordinary visible, the unspoken truth hanging over them like a storm waiting to break.
Eirik couldn't even bring himself to look at Sadiki as they reached a secluded corner of the garden, surrounded by roses and ivy. This had been their sanctuary once. A place where they could steal moments away from the prying eyes of the Zephyros palace. But today, it felt like a prison, the walls of duty closing in on Eirik from all sides.
