The dining hall was alive with warmth and noise that evening.
There were long candles burning down at the center of the table, casting everything in a soft amber glow. The smell of the most exquisite food drifted through the air, and the clatter of cutlery mixed comfortably with the sound of overlapping conversations.
Aiden sat at the head of the table, as he always did. To his immediate left, Laela was cutting Tristan's food into smaller pieces while the boy watched patiently.
Arianna sat a little further down, laughing at something Aeris had said. Uriel was across from them, composed as always, though the faintest smile played at the corners of her lips as Andrea tried to balance a piece of bread on her nose.
Lord Shadow sat beside Elena.
He was dressed in another tropical shirt, this one a deep burgundy covered in golden leaf patterns, with a chain sitting loose around his neck. He casually kept speaking to Elena in a low, unhurried tone.
