The night wore on without them noticing.
The music changed a few times, but Kael had stopped keeping track of time. At some point, dancing ceased to be a challenge and became simply… natural. Eva no longer led; she followed. Sometimes she moved away, sometimes she moved closer again, as if testing the space between them just to confirm that it was still there.
When the moon was high, silvering the rooftops of Veirona, they moved away from the courtyard. The streets were emptier now. The lanterns swayed gently, and the distant sound of the sea mingled with the occasional echo of late footsteps.
Eva walked barefoot, her shoes dangling from the fingers of one hand. The red dress now seemed less imposing, more intimate, as if it had adjusted to the tranquil rhythm of the night.
Kael noticed… "Do you always walk like this?" he asked.
"Only when I don't need to run, fight, or kill someone," she replied. "Then… rarely."
