Then, without warning, she stepped forward and hugged him.
Silas froze.
His body reacted instinctively, his hand beginning to rise as if to push her away.
But then... A voice. A memory.
Words echoed in his mind like a lingering curse.
He stopped. Slowly, he lowered his hand.
Ivy felt the hesitation. She looked up at him while still holding him.
"What happened?" she asked softly. "Why are you acting so distant?"
Silas forced a bright smile.
"It's nothing," he replied. "I'm just tired."
Ivy narrowed her eyes, the dim yellow light of the apartment casting sharp shadows across her face.
"You're lying."
Her voice was calm, yet there was a dangerous certainty in it, like the stillness before a storm.
"Did you forget the rule?" she continued. "If we have something to say, we say it. Otherwise, the other person gets punished."
Silas could not help but chuckle, the sound low and tired, yet amused by her confidence.
"So Ivy does want to punish me?" he teased.
