The library was quiet except for the faint hum of the heater, the rustle of turning pages, and the soft tapping of rain against the windows. Elowen Aris Vale stood behind the counter, arranging returned books, but her mind was elsewhere.
Selaris Veyra's presence lingered like a shadow that refused to fade.
Kaelen Thorne leaned against a nearby bookshelf, arms crossed, jaw tight.
He had followed her to the library after their heated encounter in the square.
He did not speak immediately, choosing instead to watch her carefully, every subtle movement.
His heart ached, though he hated that fact.
"You're staring again," Elowen said softly, breaking the silence.
Kaelen's eyes flicked to hers.
"I'm not," he muttered, though the flush on his cheeks betrayed him.
"You are," she said, a small, knowing smile touching her lips. "
Always."
Before Kaelen could reply, Selaris stepped forward from between the shelves.
He held a single book in his hand, fingers brushing the spine like it carried a secret. "May I?" he asked, voice low, almost melodic, as if speaking softly might bend the air itself.
Elowen froze.
"You—you can, yes," she stammered.
Kaelen's eyes narrowed.
"I don't think that's necessary," he said, tension sharpening his tone.
Selaris's eyes lifted slowly to meet Kaelen's. "Necessary? Or controlling?" His smile was calm, almost teasing, but there was a dangerous edge beneath it.
Kaelen stiffened.
"I'm just… protecting her."
Selaris's gaze flicked back to Elowen.
"And yet, she is capable of protecting herself. She doesn't need you to fight her battles."
Elowen's pulse quickened.
The words were correct, yet they struck Kaelen as an accusation he could not answer without revealing more than he wanted.
Later that evening, Kaelen walked beside Elowen along the rain-slicked streets.
The lamps cast pools of amber light that reflected in puddles.
The air smelled of wet earth and storm.
"Why are you letting him in?" Kaelen asked finally, his voice strained.
Elowen looked at him, sadness in her eyes. "Kaelen… he's not the enemy.
You're making him one because it's easier than admitting the truth."
Kaelen's steps faltered.
"What truth?"
"The truth you never told me," she said softly, her breath mingling with the cold mist. "The thing you did years ago… the thing that broke me, even if I forgave you silently.
You think this is about him, but it's not.
It's always been about us, and the walls we built to hide from each other."
Kaelen swallowed hard.
His hands shook slightly. "I… I didn't know how to… I thought… I thought keeping my distance would—"
"Keep me safe?" she finished for him.
Her voice was gentle, but the rain made it tremble.
Kaelen said nothing.
The confession he needed to make would never erase the past, but the weight of silence between them had grown too heavy to bear.
Meanwhile, Mirelle Cade sat in her small apartment, staring at a letter she had intercepted days ago.
The secret she carried—something that could unravel their fragile lives—was suffocating her.
Her fingers trembled as she re-read the words, weighing whether to intervene or remain silent.
If I tell them… everything changes.
If I stay silent… someone might get hurt.
She pressed her face to the cool windowpane as the rain drummed steadily. Her reflection stared back at her—bright eyes, forced smile, but shadows lurking beneath.
Selaris returned to the library later that night, the air thick with tension.
He found Elowen alone, staring at the rain streaking the glass.
He moved closer, his presence uninvited but somehow necessary.
"Elowen…" he said softly.
She did not turn immediately.
"Why are you still here?" she asked.
Selaris's eyes were unreadable.
"Because some things… are meant to be faced, even if you aren't ready."
Her chest tightened.
She had never felt such a mix of fear and longing at the same time.
"And if I'm not ready?"
"Then I wait," he whispered, the rain tapping against the windows like a heartbeat keeping time.
Kaelen entered then, silent, but the moment Selaris turned toward him, the tension was palpable.
Words unsaid hung in the air like storm clouds threatening to break.
Elowen:
I am caught between two storms—one I have always known, and one I do not yet understand.
Kaelen carries the past like armor, protecting me in ways he cannot say aloud.
Selaris… he carries something different. Something dangerous, and I cannot help but be drawn to it.
I do not know which storm will break me first, or if I will survive both.