Dante watched her with a softness he didn't bother hiding. "I don't know," he admitted. "They're just happy. And they like holding you."
Her heart skipped at that.
She stopped, hovering there, shadows curling protectively around her legs, her waist, her back. "What else can they do?" she asked quietly, curiosity sparkling in her voice.
His smile deepened, darker now, almost fond. "They can cradle you when you're tired," he said, one shadow lifting slightly beneath her as if demonstrating. "They can keep you warm when the night is cold. They can wrap around you when you're scared, or pull you close when you don't know how to ask."
As he spoke, the shadows responded, drifting nearer, cocooning her gently, not trapping her but holding her gently. Alina's breath softened, her shoulders relaxing as a strange sense of safety washed over her.
"They listen to emotions more than words," Dante continued quietly. "That's why they moved on their own. You make them feel… calm."
