The candle flame was now fighting its final breaths, making the golden glow in the room even dimmer. Zara was so close to Kelen that she could feel the radiating warmth of his body. Kelen gently placed his hand on Zara's head, his fingers stroking her hair with rhythmic softness.
"Sleep now," Kelen whispered, his voice carrying a strange reassurance. "I'm not going anywhere." Zara let out a contented sigh and closed her heavy lids.
For a few minutes, Kelen watched her, and once he was certain her breathing had become deep and steady, he closed his eyes as well. The shroud of sleep gradually pulled them both into its embrace.
The hands of the old clock on the wall met at the top—it was exactly 12:00 midnight. The room was now in absolute silence. A while later, Zara's eyes fluttered open. She was still pressed close to Kelen. Her warm breath fanned against his broad chest and bounced back. In the shadows, Zara lifted her gaze upward.
"Kelen?" she called out in a voice so faint it was barely audible even to herself. There was no movement from Kelen. He was submerged in a deep sleep, his face looking calm and untroubled. Zara watched him for a few moments, as if trying to etch his features into her soul forever.
Then, moved by a sudden impulse, Zara leaned in further. With extreme delicacy, she pressed her lips against Kelen's in a fleeting kiss—a touch as brief and soft as a velvet dream.
The moment it happened, she pulled back instantly, her heart racing uncontrollably. She cast her gaze down and squeezed her eyes shut again, as if trying to hide the secret act even from herself. Kelen did not wake; he continued to sleep in that same peaceful pose, unaware that a new secret had been buried in the silence of the night.
The candle flame flickered one last time and died out. A thick, ink-black darkness now blanketed the room—so deep that one could not even see their own hand. Zara lay in that velvety silence, her eyes straining to adjust to the void. Kelen remained perfectly still before her, the sheer weight of his presence felt upon the mattress.
Kelen had not shifted his side; he remained in the very position in which he had fallen asleep. But suddenly, a slight movement pierced the stillness. His body stirred with an unconscious restlessness. Submerged in the deep valleys of sleep, his hand slid instinctively across the bedsheets.
Zara's meticulously cleaned house was utterly silent now, but a storm had erupted within her chest. She felt Kelen's strong hand arch through the air and land directly upon her waist. It wasn't a calculated move—just a stray hand wandering in sleep—yet it had claimed Zara's very being in its grasp.
Zara's breath hitched. In that pitch-black room where nothing could be seen, the heavy touch of Kelen's hand surged through her like a bolt of lightning. She turned into a statue of stone.
Kelen remained in a profound slumber, his breathing steady, but his hand was now firmly anchored to her waist. In that dense darkness, Zara stared wide-eyed at the ceiling, her heart hammering like a drum in the silent room.
The ink-black darkness of the night gradually began to dissolve into a muddy grey. From the skylight positioned high up on the wall, the first translucent light of dawn began to filter into the room.
The light descended in a straight beam from above, making tiny dust motes appear like dancing golden stars in the air. That dim radiance signaled the arrival of a new morning within the silent room.
Kelen's slumber slowly fractured. He felt an unfamiliar warmth and softness beneath his palm. As his consciousness flickered to life, he realized his hand was anchored firmly against Zara's waist. He froze for a heartbeat.
His eyes flew wide open, and he looked down at the hand that had unconsciously held Zara in its grasp throughout the night. The light from the skylight was now slowly creeping toward Zara's face.
Kelen held his breath. With extreme delicacy and caution, he curled his fingers back and lifted his hand away from her, as if protecting a fragile, priceless treasure from breaking. Without making a sound, he sat up on the bed. His body felt a new surge of energy after the long night's rest, yet his mind remained tangled in the confusion of those lingering moments.
He leaned over to look at Zara, who was still lost in the depths of a profound sleep. The hazy light from above washed over her face, making her peaceful features stand out clearly.
Her breathing moved in a steady rhythm, and there was a tranquility upon her face that seemed earned after years of exhaustion. Kelen simply stared; in that quiet morning, he found he could not pull his gaze away from her.
Leaving the warmth of the bed behind, Kelen rose in silence. He walked to the window and pushed open the shutters, allowing a pleasant wave of cool, fresh morning air to fill the room. To ensure the outside light wouldn't hit Zara's eyes directly, he meticulously pulled the curtains shut.
He moved toward the door but faltered once more before leaving the room. He turned back to take a long look at Zara, who was still fast asleep, and then headed toward the stairs with quiet strides. Upon reaching the lower floor, he went straight into the kitchen.
The faint clink of utensils began to echo in the silence. Kelen prepared coffee for himself and drank it peacefully amidst its bitter aroma. Afterward, he set to work on making breakfast.
Within a short time, he finished his meal, yet no sound of movement came from upstairs. Kelen's gaze shifted to the clock hanging on the wall; plenty of time had passed, but Zara had not come down yet.
He left the kitchen and headed back toward the stairs. When he entered the room upon reaching the top, he saw the scene remained the same.
Zara was still lost in the depths of her profound and untroubled sleep. The dim light filtering through the curtains spread a sense of calm throughout the room, and Kelen simply stood there, watching her sleep.