The moment those words slipped from Niara's lips, Darian's world stopped.
His expression froze. His eyes widened, and for a moment, the man who could command the laws of the universe became completely catatonic. It was a kind of shock that no battle or enemy had ever caused him.
Niara, watching his reaction, couldn't hold back. A soft, crystal-clear laugh escaped her, overflowing with radiant satisfaction. Her joy wasn't just a sound; it felt like a force that lit up the entire room.
In that second, Darian's heart started racing.
He had never seen her like this. Her smile was so sweet, so genuine, it pierced straight into the deepest layers of his soul, engraving that image with fire and light into his memory. For Darian, that moment became eternal.
