Chapter 31: The Fire Beneath the Silence
The cold breeze swept gently across the land as the army gathered, ready to return to Noctarion. I woke up to the soft rustle of armor and hoofbeats, mounting my horse as we began the journey. But my mind couldn't let go of what happened last night.
Damier had sat beside me, watching the stars.
It felt familiar… too familiar.
Almost like it wasn't the first time we'd done that.
And I can't stop wondering — who was his first love?
We rode farther down the road, and I glanced at him. He's always so serious, rarely smiles. But yesterday… he smiled at me. And it wasn't forced — it was real.
"Ravena, what's wrong with you?" I muttered in my head. "Why can't you forget those eyes?"
They feel like flames I've stared into before.
He turned and smiled again.
"You should prepare yourself for the coronation. The Knights of Noctarion aren't just strong — they're more."
"Really?" I said, happiness slipping into my voice.
"So what's more?"
He looked up to the sky, then glanced back down at me with a teasing glint in his eye.
"As I said, Princess… I don't want anything hurting your pretty skin, okay?"
"Stop calling me Princess," I snapped. "And stop saying that. Why do you even care?"
He looked at me with a cold, unreadable gaze. Then suddenly, he smiled.
He dismounted. "Come with me, and I'll show you why."
"And why should I?"
"As you wish… Princess."
He walked into the forest, leaving his horse behind.
"Sometimes I don't even know what's wrong with me." I sighed and followed him, dismounting.
He turned to me as we walked deeper.
"Do you see the colors of nature?" he asked softly. "It reminds me of someone."
I looked at him. "Who?"
He didn't answer, just walked on.
We stopped at a beautiful lake, its surface shimmering like glass. He walked to the edge, staring into it, then turned toward me.
"It reminds me of you," he said.
"Everything about it. The quiet, the beauty, the fire underneath. You keep haunting me… for centuries."
My heart skipped. "What do you mean by that?" I asked, stammering.
"Ravena, what's wrong with you?" I screamed in my head.
He only smiled and walked back toward his horse.
"Wait! Just tell me what you meant!" I called after him.
He looked over his shoulder, teasing.
"I can't… Princess."
"But you said you would."
"Not now, Princess. Let's go."
I climbed back on my horse beside him, heart pounding.
I couldn't forget his words.
I couldn't forget the look in his eyes.
And something told me —
This is not going to be okay.