The heat did not fade with evening.
It lingered, clinging to stone and skin alike, as if Dramhir itself refused to release those who entered its domain. Even within the palace chambers, the air remained heavy....cooler than the desert outside, yet thick with an oppressive stillness that made Aurelia restless.
She stood at the tall arched window, staring out across the darkening dunes. The sun had dipped below the horizon, but its afterglow stained the sky in bruised shades of crimson and copper. Far below, torches flickered to life along the palace walls, their flames casting long, warped shadows across the obsidian stone.
Nothing here felt gentle.
Nothing here felt forgiving.
Behind her, the chamber doors closed with a soft but final sound.
Aurelia stiffened.
She did not turn immediately. She didn't need to.
She felt him.
