Victor didn't look away. He turned fully now, the movement unhurried, the quiet weight of his presence settling over the room like a second gravity.
His expression remained composed, but the faint flex of his jaw and the subtle ripple of ether that stirred and dimmed along the hem of his coat betrayed the careful calculation behind his silence.
"It depends," Victor said at last, voice low.
Elias frowned. "Depends? Shouldn't it be a yes or no answer?"
Victor took a slow step closer, crimson eyes steady, unwavering. "No," he murmured. "It should be a question of trust. Do you trust me?"
Elias's throat tightened. He held Victor's gaze, feeling the weight of the question settle like a stone in his chest.
"I believe I can trust you," Elias said finally, each word slow, measured, "and that I can give you a chance. But no… I can't trust you fully. Not yet. Not even after you saved me twice."
