Lyra lay awake long after Kael's breathing had settled into a deep, steady rhythm. The cabin was quiet, save for the soft crackle of the fire and the occasional creak of the old wooden floor. She turned her gaze to the ceiling, watching the shadows dance in time with the flickering flames.
Sleep, however, was elusive.
Kael's words from earlier still echoed in her mind. "Because I don't want to lose you." It was such a simple statement, yet it carried the weight of everything they had been through, and everything they hadn't yet faced. She didn't know what to make of it.
She had spent so long hating him, fighting against the bond she felt pulling her toward him. But now, after everything, she was beginning to question whether she had been fighting against her feelings for the wrong reasons.
