Aira had just spoken when silence settled between them—thick, unmoving, almost suffocating. Neither one of them said a word. Especially Liora, who had suddenly gone completely still behind the door.
Aira stood there, her palm hovering just inches from the wooden frame, eyes fixed on the faint sliver of light leaking from beneath it. She didn't speak either. It felt as though they were caught in an invisible standoff, both waiting for the other to break whatever tension had coiled so tightly between them.
Seconds stretched into long, uncertain minutes. The air in the hallway grew heavy, the flickering torches along the walls casting dim, wavering shadows that seemed to dance between them.
Finally, when Aira decided she would speak again—or perhaps simply barge in and end this strange silence—Liora's voice broke through.
"Send the butler and guards away first," she said, her tone distant yet commanding. "Then step in."
