That night, the distance between them felt smaller.
Kael leaned against the wall, watching Lira quietly.
"You stayed," he said.
"I said I would."
"You could've left."
"So could you."
Kael smiled faintly. "Not really."
A pause.
Then—
"Why did you come back for me?" he asked.
Lira hesitated.
"…Because I knew what would happen if I didn't."
"That's not the only reason."
Silence.
Then she looked at him.
And for the first time, there was no distance in her gaze.
"…No," she admitted.
The air shifted.
Not fire.
Something else.
End of Chapter 16