The abyss breathed.
That was the only way Aliena could describe it now.
Not wind.
Not movement.
Breathing.
Slow.
Ancient.
Alive.
The silver flowers surrounding them swayed gently beneath a sky that did not truly exist, their pale glow reflecting across the endless black water stretching into darkness.
Nothing here obeyed reality.
The ruins floating in the distance shifted subtly whenever she looked away.
The whispers beneath the water came and went like sleeping things turning in dreams.
And standing before her—
the silver-haired man remained terrifyingly still.
His pale eyes lingered on her quietly after hearing her answer about Sebastian.
About loneliness.
About gentleness.
About love.
For the first time since meeting him—
the ancient composure surrounding him had cracked ever so slightly.
Not visibly enough for most people to notice.
But Aliena noticed.
Because beneath all his elegance and calmness—
