Aeron's eyes lingered on them, catching the subtle glances and the spark between Starfania and Daniel. His keen instincts picked up on the shift immediately, and a knot of envy tightened his chest. The thought of them becoming something more unsettled him in ways he didn't want to admit. Daniel's enigmatic charm seemed to have captured Starfania's heart, and this cast a shadow over Aeron's confidence. What does he have that I don't? The question gnawed at him, feeding a slow burn of self-doubt he couldn't quite shake. What makes Daniel so special? The thought circled, relentless, as jealousy and envy held an uninvited celebration in his head.
He tried to hide it, but the feeling kept digging in. He wanted to be happy for her… but he wanted her to look at him that way. The realization left him vulnerable. Starfania was too important to imagine life without. He wanted to protect her from anything that could hurt her—evenif the thing she wanted was someone else. Part of him considered stepping back, playing the wingman, supporting her if she pursued Daniel. But beneath that, a deeper fear whispered: that he'd be left on the sidelines, watching her drift further away. His insecurities painted vivid pictures of her laughing with Daniel, of her heart belonging to someone else. Aeron shook the thought off, refusing to let it take root. Whatever this feeling was, he'd have to learn to navigate it. Above all, he was determined to keep her happy—even if it wasn't him who made her smile.