Rex stood near the doorway, his hands clasped tightly together, fidgeting like a child caught doing something wrong. His eyes darted between Leonidas and Kallistra, his nervous energy almost tangible.
Kallistra turned slowly from the window, her steps deliberate as she walked toward him. Her arms stretched wide, an exaggerated gesture of welcome that seemed almost theatrical. A sly smile played on her lips as she spoke, her voice dripping with honeyed sarcasm.
"Ah, the brightest light of this entire building has arrived," she said, her tone a mixture of mockery and admiration.
Rex's fingers twitched nervously, rubbing against each other as he muttered.
"A pathetic worm like me? A light?"
Kallistra's pace quickened as she closed the distance between them, her gaze locked onto him with unnerving intensity. She stopped just inches away, reaching out to cup his cheek with a hand that felt both tender and commanding.
