Ayla was not the kind of woman who waited for someone to rescue her. She was independent, fierce, and full of life. But there was something about Zayan—his quiet strength, the sadness in his eyes—that made her want to understand him.
For Zayan, love was a distraction, a luxury he couldn't afford. Yet, every moment with Ayla made him question the walls he had built around his heart.
"You always seem so far away," she said one evening, as they sat by the sea.
"Because I am," he admitted. "My world is not like yours, Ayla. I belong to the battlefield."
She reached for his hand. "And when the war ends?"
He looked away. "For soldiers, the war never truly ends."