>>Aelin
He hesitated. "No… It's my first time, actually."
I blinked. "Really?"
He gave a small shrug. "It was recommended to me."
I straightened and turned to face him fully. "By your dad?"
He paused—just enough for me to notice—then nodded.
A small smile tugged at my lips. "I'm excited to meet him. I never knew you had a father figure. You never mentioned family before this."
Ariston didn't smile back.
Something in his posture was off. His shoulders were tense, his stance just a bit too alert for a place so quiet. I watched his eyes flick up to the sky, then scan the temple walls again like he expected them to move.
I walked up to him, lightly touching his arm. "What's wrong?"
He didn't answer right away. His gaze drifted back to the clouds overhead.
"I'm not sure," he murmured. "Something feels… off."
I followed his line of sight, but all I saw was gray sky and stone. "It's just the weather," I offered gently. "Maybe the air feels heavy after the rain."
