And nothing would ever be the same again.
The castle walls seemed to breathe that truth into the air, their ancient stones holding the weight of a thousand secrets. Aria didn't notice the subtle tightening of Kael's jaw as he moved past her, his footsteps echoing down the corridor with deliberate control. But she felt it—the strange pull in her chest that came every time he was near, as if her body recognized something her mind refused to name.
She followed him, the long hem of her gown whispering over the polished floor. Outside the arched windows, the sun had dipped low, painting the sky in streaks of crimson and gold. It should have been beautiful, peaceful even, but there was an unshakable sense that the air had changed. Something unseen had shifted—like the moment before a storm when the wind holds its breath.
Kael stopped at the top of the grand staircase, one hand braced against the carved banister. "You shouldn't wander alone tonight," he said without turning around. His voice was steady, but there was a quiet intensity in it, a warning wrapped in velvet.
Aria hesitated. "Why? Has something happened?"
His gaze slid toward her, dark and unreadable. "Not yet." He descended the stairs in measured strides, as if every step was chosen with precision, leaving her to decide whether to follow.
She did. She wasn't sure why—maybe because part of her hated the idea of being left behind, and part of her… wanted to know what shadows chased a man like Kael.
The hall below opened into a side passage lit only by wall sconces, the flames flickering as though whispering secrets. The further they went, the quieter it became, until the only sounds were their footsteps and the faint rustle of her skirts.
"What's beyond this way?" she asked, her voice hushed.
Kael didn't answer right away. His shoulders tensed beneath the black fabric of his tunic, his head tilting slightly as if listening to something she couldn't hear. "Old parts of the castle," he said at last. "Places most people don't go anymore."
"Then why are we going there?"
His lips curved—not a smile, but something sharper, tinged with irony. "Because sometimes the safest place is the one no one dares to enter."
They reached a heavy wooden door reinforced with iron bands. Kael rested his palm against it for a moment, his eyes closing briefly before he pushed it open. A draft spilled out, cool and scented faintly with stone and age. Inside, the chamber was dim, the air thick with silence. Shadows pooled in the corners like watchful sentries.
"This was once the war room," he said, his voice low. "Every battle the kingdom fought was planned here."
Aria stepped inside, her fingers brushing the edge of a dust-covered table. Faded maps lay beneath a thin film of neglect, their edges curled, the ink faded but still legible. She could almost hear echoes of long-forgotten arguments, feel the lingering heat of strategies forged under pressure.
She turned to find him watching her, his eyes darker than the room around them. The flickering light caught the sharp planes of his face, and for a moment she couldn't look away.
"Why bring me here?" she asked.
He closed the distance between them slowly, each step deliberate, as though measuring her reaction. "Because the walls here don't have ears," he murmured.
Something in his tone made her pulse stumble. "And what is it you can't say anywhere else?"
He stopped just close enough that the space between them felt charged. "That you're not safe here, Aria."
Her breath caught. "Safe from what?"
His jaw tightened, the muscle ticking once. "From what's coming."
The words were simple, but the weight behind them was enough to send a chill over her skin. She wanted to ask more, but something in his eyes warned her that the answers would be heavier than she was ready to carry.
Still, her voice came softer than she intended. "You're not telling me everything."
"No." His gaze flickered briefly to her lips before snapping back to her eyes. "Because once I do, there's no going back."
They stood like that—two shadows suspended in the half-light, the air between them charged with something that felt dangerously close to a confession. Aria's heart pounded so loudly she was certain he could hear it.
A noise somewhere in the corridor broke the moment—a low scrape, like metal against stone. Kael's head turned sharply, his entire posture shifting from coiled restraint to alert readiness.
"Stay here," he said, already moving toward the door.
She grabbed his wrist before she could think better of it. "Don't leave me here alone."
For a heartbeat, he didn't move. Then his gaze dropped to where her hand clasped his, his skin warm beneath her fingers. Slowly, he turned back to her, his expression unreadable but his voice softer.
"Then stay close."
He didn't release her hand as they slipped into the hallway, the shadows stretching long around them. She could feel the tension radiating from him, the way every movement was calculated, controlled. Yet there was a thread of protectiveness woven into it, unspoken but undeniable.
They rounded a corner, and the faint light of the sconces revealed a figure at the far end of the passage—a man dressed in the deep colors of night, his features obscured by a hood. The moment he saw them, he turned and vanished into the darkness.
Kael swore under his breath and quickened his pace, but the stranger was already gone. He stood still for a moment, his hand tightening slightly on hers before he released it.
"That's why I didn't want you alone," he said, his voice low, almost to himself. "They've started moving sooner than I thought."
Aria's chest tightened. "Who?"
His eyes met hers, and for the first time she saw something raw there—something that made him look less like the untouchable figure she'd thought he was and more like a man standing against a tide he couldn't stop.
"The ones who don't care what they have to destroy to get what they want," he said. Then, softer, "Including you