Cain's smile did not last.
It lingered for a moment, fragile and uncertain, before something deep inside him tightened again, like a thread being pulled too hard, like a feeling that refused to settle no matter how much he tried to convince himself that everything was fine.
His eyes moved.
Slowly.
Almost carefully.
As if he was afraid of what he might see if he looked too fast.
First—
Ivira.
She was right there, pressed against him, her body close, her white hair falling softly over his arm and chest, her presence warm and real in a way that made his breath catch again. Her face was close enough that he could see every detail, the faint color on her cheeks, the way her lips parted slightly as she looked at him, the way her eyes held a quiet confusion mixed with concern.
Then—
Cornelia.
