Night had settled quietly over the estate. The house, once filled with movement and voices, had gone still.
Darin was already asleep. Alaric had retired early after a long day. Serenya remained in her room, though Elara could tell she wasn't truly resting.
Elara stood by the window in her new room.
The city stretched out before her, lights flickering in the distance. And beyond it, the palace.
She shouldn't have been thinking about him, but she was.
A soft knock came at the door. She turned.
"Who is it?"
But there was no answer. Her brows furrowed slightly as she walked toward it and opened the door her breath caught.
"Kaelen?"
He stood there, leaning slightly against the wall for support. He still looked weak, his face pale under the dim light, but his eyes were clearly focused on her.
"You shouldn't be here," she said immediately, stepping forward. "You're not fully recovered—"
"I needed to see you," he said.
His voice was low and serious, stopping her for completing her statement.
She stepped aside without another word. "Come in."
He walked in slowly, every step careful, controlled. Elara closed the door behind him, her heart already starting to race.
"You shouldn't have come alone," she said, turning back to him. "If someone sees you,"
"I don't care," he said.
That made her pause, heavy silence stretched between them. Unspoken things filling the space.
Kaelen took a step closer. "Elara… I meant what I said earlier."
She didn't respond.
"I didn't fight just to survive," he continued. "I fought because of you."
Her chest tightened. "Kaelen—"
"I need you to hear me," he said.
There was something in his voice, something that made it hard to interrupt.
"I don't see you as just the healer's daughter," he said.
"And I don't see you as something temporary."
His gaze held hers. "What I feel for you is real."
Elara looked away, her hands clenched slightly at her sides.
"You shouldn't say things like that," she said quietly.
"Why not?"
"Because it doesn't change anything."
Kaelen frowned. "It changes everything."
"No," she said, shaking her head slightly. "It doesn't."
She looked back at him now. "There's Lyra," she said. "There's the kingdom. There's everything you can't walk away from."
"I don't want to walk away from you," he said.
Her expression faltered for just a second.
He stepped closer. "What about what happened earlier?" he asked.
Her breath caught.
"You felt it too," he said. "Don't pretend you didn't."
Elara shook her head quickly. "That was a mistake."
The words came out fast, making Kealen not to believe her.
He closed the distance between them in a few steps.
"Elara."
She stepped back, but there was nowhere to go.
Her back met the wall, and he was right there. Very close she could feel his breath.
"Look at me," he said.
But she didn't.
"Elara," he repeated, his voice firmer now. "Look at me and say it was a mistake."
Slowly, she lifted her gaze, meeting his eyes.
Say it, that's all she had to do. She told herself, but she couldn't.
The words wouldn't come, Kaelen saw it and that was enough.
Her voice came out softer this time. "…It doesn't matter," she said.
"That's not what I asked."
"It doesn't matter," she repeated, her voice shaking slightly now. "You should forget about it. About me."
His expression tightened. "How can I do that?" he asked.
There was no anger in his voice, just frustration and
something deeper.
"How do you expect me to change how I feel?" he said.
Elara swallowed hard.
"You think this is easy for me?" he continued. "You think I don't understand what's at stake?"
Her eyes flickered slightly, because she knew He did.
"But knowing that doesn't change anything," he said. "It doesn't make what I feel to disappear."
His voice dropped slightly. "It doesn't make you disappear."
Thick and unbearable silence filled the room again.
Elara lowered her eyes, because if she kept looking at him—She might break.
"You don't get it," she said quietly.
"Then explain it to me."
"I can't."
He let out a slow breath, then stepped back.
Not far, but enough.
"Fine," he said.
But it didn't sound like he meant it.
Elara stayed where she was, her heart still racing, her thoughts tangled. Because the truth was, she did feel it, everything he said, everything he felt. And that was exactly the problem.
Kaelen looked at her one last time. "Running from it won't change anything," he said quietly.
Then he turned, and walked toward the door.
Elara didn't stop him, she couldn't.
The door opened and then closed and just like that, the room felt empty again.
Elara sank slowly onto the edge of the bed, her hands trembling slightly. Her chest tight, her thoughts louder than ever.
Because no matter how much she tried to deny it—
She knew.
This wasn't something that would simply fade.