Whispers of the night

of the night playing on a loop in her head. Kael's rejection had been swift, brutal, and final, yet the sting of it only fueled the fire inside her. She wasn't broken, not yet. The trees aroun

jaw tightened, his fists clenching at his sides. "What do you mean, 'supposed to be'?" "He rejected me," Elara said, her voice barely above a whisper. "He doesn't want the bond. Doesn't want me." Silence stretched between them, thick and heavy with the weight of her confession. Alaric's expression darkened, his golden eyes flashing with anger. He opened his mouth to say something, but Elara shook her head, cutting him off. "Don't," she said firmly. "I don't need pity, or anger, or whatever it is you're about to say. I just... I just need to figure out what to do next." Alaric's face softened, and he stepped closer, his hand reaching out to touch her arm. "Elara, you don't have to figure this out alone. You know that, right?" "I know," she said, pulling away from his touch. "But this is my fight, Alaric. My path. I need to find my own way." Alaric studied her for a long moment, his gaze filled with frustration, concern, and something else she couldn't quite place. Finally, he sighed, running a hand through his messy brown hair. "Fine," he said. "But don't think for a second that I'm just going to sit back and watch you fight this battle on your own. Whether you like it or not, I'm in this with you." Elara wanted to argue, to tell him that this was her burden to carry, but the words wouldn't come. Deep down, she knew she needed Alaric's support, even if she wasn't ready to admit it yet. So, instead of arguing, she nodded, allowing herself a moment of relief in the knowledge that she wasn't entirely alone. "Thank you," she said softly, her voice barely audible. Alaric gave her a small, lopsided smile. "Don't thank me yet. We've still got a lot of work to do." Elara raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. "What do you mean?" Alaric's expression grew serious, his golden eyes flicking toward the trees, as though making sure they weren't being overheard. He leaned in closer, lowering his voice. "There's something going on,