Aria's heart pounded as she sat on the edge of her bed, her fingers nervously twisting the silver chain around her neck. Outside, the wind whispered against the walls of her small chamber, carrying the faint scent of rain. Sleep was impossible. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Kael's gaze — that piercing look, both fierce and unreadable, as though he had looked straight into her soul earlier that day.
She hated the way it made her feel. Vulnerable. Exposed.
And yet… alive.
A soft knock broke through her thoughts.
"Aria," came a voice from the other side — deep, steady, unmistakable.
Her breath caught.
"What do you want, Kael?" she asked, forcing her voice to remain calm, even as her pulse sped up.
There was a pause. "Can we talk?"
For a moment, she hesitated. Every part of her screamed to tell him to leave, to protect the fragile walls she had built around herself. But against all reason, she rose and opened the door.
Kael stood there in the dim torchlight, his tall frame casting shadows across the narrow hallway. His eyes swept over her — not in the way most men would, but with an intensity that felt… dangerous.
"We need to settle what happened earlier," he said quietly.
"There's nothing to settle," she replied, crossing her arms. "You appeared out of nowhere, acted like you knew me, and—"
"I do know you," he cut in, his voice low but certain. "More than you think."
Her brow furrowed. "That's impossible. We've never met before yesterday."
His lips twitched, almost like he wanted to smile, but it was tinged with something darker. "That's what you believe."
She narrowed her eyes, irritation rising. "Stop speaking in riddles, Kael. If you have something to say, say it."
He stepped closer, and she instinctively took a step back, until her spine pressed against the wooden doorframe. The air between them thickened, the space too small, his presence too overwhelming.
"I can't tell you everything," he said, his gaze locked on hers. "Not yet. But I need you to trust me."
Her laugh was short and sharp. "Trust? You're a stranger who's been shadowing me since I got here. Why should I trust you?"
His jaw clenched. "Because whether you like it or not, I'm the only one standing between you and what's coming."
She blinked, her chest tightening. "And what exactly is coming?"
Kael's silence was answer enough.
Aria pushed past him, needing space, air, anything to stop the way his nearness was making her thoughts scatter. She stepped out into the corridor, feeling the cool stone floor beneath her feet.
"Forget it," she muttered. "Whatever game you're playing, I'm not interested."
But as she turned to leave, his hand shot out, fingers wrapping around her wrist — not painfully, but firmly enough to halt her.
"Aria," he said, his voice low, urgent. "You're not safe here. The people you think are allies… aren't. And the ones you fear… may be the only ones who can protect you."
Her lips parted, questions piling up faster than she could form them. "You're not making sense—"
"I will," he promised. "But you have to let me stay close. You have to let me protect you."
She pulled her hand free, her skin tingling where he had touched her. "I don't need your protection."
His eyes softened for the briefest moment, but there was still that unyielding determination beneath. "You will."
The next morning, Aria tried to bury herself in her duties. She moved between the training grounds and the kitchens, fetching water, carrying supplies, doing anything that would keep her from thinking about Kael. But no matter where she went, she felt his presence — a shadow at the edge of her awareness.
When she finally caught sight of him leaning against the courtyard wall, arms folded, watching her with that unreadable expression, something inside her snapped.
She marched up to him. "Do you follow me everywhere?"
"Only when you leave your room," he replied calmly.
Her glare could have set fire to the stones beneath them. "You're insufferable."
"And you're stubborn," he countered, almost amused.
"Is this a joke to you?" she demanded.
His smile faded. "Not even close. You think I'm doing this because I enjoy it? You have no idea what it's costing me to stay here."
Her anger faltered, confusion taking its place. "Costing you? What does that mean?"
He looked away, jaw tightening. "If I told you, you wouldn't believe me."
"Try me," she challenged.
His gaze met hers again, and for the first time, she saw something raw there — pain, maybe even fear. "I'm bound to you, Aria. And if I fail to keep you safe… I die."
Her breath caught, a chill running through her. "That's ridiculous—"
"Is it?" he asked, stepping closer, his voice almost a whisper. "Look at me and tell me you haven't felt it too. The pull. The way the air shifts when we're near each other. You think that's coincidence?"
She froze. Because as much as she wanted to deny it, she had felt it. That strange awareness, the way her skin prickled when he was close, the way her chest tightened when he looked at her.
But admitting it felt dangerous.
"You're insane," she said finally, forcing the words out. "And I'm done with this conversation."
She turned on her heel and walked away, not daring to glance back.
But she didn't see the way Kael's hands curled into fists, or the shadow that passed over his eyes.
Because somewhere beyond the castle walls, something had already started moving toward them.
And nothing would ever be the same again.