Elaris adjusted the strap of her satchel, her fingers still tingling from the surge of power she had unleashed. She glanced sideways at Kael, who walked slightly ahead, his sword now sheathed at his side.
"You said I'm stronger than you expected," she began, breaking the silence that had stretched between them. "Was that a compliment, or do you just have really low expectations?"
Kael turned his head, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Consider it… cautious optimism," he said, his tone teasing but laced with his usual guardedness.
Elaris rolled her eyes but couldn't stop the small smile that crept onto her lips. "Well, don't get used to it. I'm still figuring this out."
They continued up the narrow path, the cliffside bathed in soft starlight. The tension from the Sentinel attack had faded, replaced by a strange, unspoken ease between them. Elaris found herself studying Kael as they walked—the way his dark cloak swayed with each step, the sharp lines of his profile, the silver glow of his eyes that never seemed to fully dim.
"You've done this before, haven't you?" she asked, her curiosity getting the better of her. "Guided someone like me?"
Kael's smirk disappeared, replaced by a flicker of something unreadable. "Not exactly," he said after a pause.
"What does that mean?"
"It means…" He exhaled sharply, as if debating how much to say. "You're the first Starlight Empress in centuries. There hasn't been anyone like you since the last war against the Shadow King."
Elaris frowned. "Centuries? But you speak like you were there. How old are you?"
Kael stopped abruptly, his jaw tightening. He turned to face her, the light from the stars casting shadows across his sharp features. "Older than I look," he said, his voice low. "That's all you need to know."
Elaris arched a brow, refusing to let the subject drop. "You don't trust me, do you? You've been watching me like I might explode at any moment."
Kael's eyes met hers, their silver glow piercing. "It's not about trust. You're carrying a power that could either save or destroy this world. That kind of responsibility changes people."
The weight of his words settled heavily on her chest, but she refused to look away. "I didn't ask for any of this, Kael. But I'm here, and I'm trying. Doesn't that count for something?"
For a moment, Kael's expression softened. The hard lines of his face eased, and his gaze flickered to the pendant around her neck. "It does," he said quietly. "More than you know."
Their eyes locked, and the air between them seemed to shift. Elaris's heart quickened, though she wasn't sure if it was from his words or the sudden awareness of how close they were standing. She could feel the warmth of his presence, a stark contrast to the cool night air.
Kael was the first to break the moment. He turned abruptly, his cloak swirling around him. "We should keep moving," he said, his voice brisk.
Elaris stared after him, her cheeks warm and her thoughts swirling. What was that? she wondered, touching the pendant absently.
As they resumed their climb, the silence between them felt heavier, charged with something unspoken. Elaris found herself stealing glances at Kael, noticing the way his jaw tightened or how his hands twitched slightly, as if he were constantly ready for battle.
"Kael," she said softly after a while, "what did you mean when you said you're not doing this for me? Why are you helping me?"
He didn't answer right away, his steps slowing as they approached a plateau. Finally, he stopped and turned to her, his expression unreadable.
"Because I've seen what happens when the light falls," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "And because I owe someone… someone I failed a long time ago."
Elaris opened her mouth to ask more, but the look in his eyes stopped her. There was a pain there, deep and raw, that made her chest ache.
Instead, she stepped closer, her hand hovering near his arm before she hesitated. "You're not alone in this, Kael," she said gently. "We'll face it together."
Kael looked down at her, his gaze softening for the briefest moment. Then, almost imperceptibly, he nodded.
"Together," he murmured, though his tone carried a hint of doubt—as if he didn't entirely believe it himself.
As they set off again, Elaris felt a strange mixture of emotions stirring within her. The path ahead was uncertain, and Kael remained as much a mystery as the power within her. But for the first time, she felt a flicker of trust—not just in him, but in herself.
Little did she know, the bond forming between them would be tested in ways neither of them could foresee.