Azrael woke up in the middle of the night.
No sound had disturbed him. No nightmare. No instinctive alarm. Just absence.
He shifted slightly and glanced toward the other side of the bed.
Empty. The sheets were cold.
For a brief second something tightened in his chest. He immediately dismissed it.
I don't care. She can do whatever she wants.
Still, his eyes lingered on the vacant space longer than necessary.
With a quiet sigh he pushed himself up and ran a hand through his long black hair. It was messy, heavy, falling over his face.
Curiosity won. Not concern. Just curiosity.
He stepped out of the room and headed toward the balcony. The glass door was slightly open, cool night air slipping inside.
And there she was.
Selena stood at the edge of the balcony, one hand lightly resting on the stone railing, her figure illuminated by moonlight. For a moment Azrael genuinely didn't know what to look at first.
The city stretched endlessly beneath them, glowing lanterns and silver rooftops and distant towers. At the center of it all stood the colossal World Tree, its massive branches rising toward the heavens, its leaves shimmering faintly under the stars. Above it all the sky was unreal, black with deep shades of blue, thousands of stars scattered like diamonds. And dominating everything, the Twin Moons. One deep sapphire blue. The other pale, luminous azure. They bathed the entire kingdom in a surreal glow.
And yet Selena might have been the more breathtaking sight.
Her silver hair moved gently with the night breeze. Her expression was distant. Melancholic. She looked small. Not like a princess. Just a girl staring at something far away.
She sensed him eventually and turned.
Azrael flinched, just for a microsecond, before his expression hardened again.
Selena: "Does your head hurt?"
He blinked, slightly surprised.
She's worried?
Azrael: "I'm fine. Violette must've hit lightly. If she had used her full strength I probably wouldn't have woken up."
A faint smile touched her lips. She turned back toward the sky without replying.
Azrael stepped beside her. For a few minutes neither spoke. The silence wasn't uncomfortable. Just heavy.
Finally Azrael cleared his throat, his voice coming out more hesitant than he intended.
Azrael: "Why do you still look at this kingdom like that? You grew up with this view. Shouldn't you be used to it?"
She glanced at him slowly, eyes scanning him from head to toe as if measuring whether he deserved an answer. Then she spoke.
Selena: "Even if I grew up with it, it will never stop being beautiful." Her voice softened. "And I need to remember why I fight. I do all of this to keep this kingdom standing. To protect my people." A pause. "And these views."
Azrael's eyes shifted back to the horizon. So he had been partially right.
She suddenly stepped away from the railing and turned to face him directly. Azrael stiffened instantly, his body reacting before his mind did, shifting into a defensive stance.
She blinked. Then laughed softly.
Selena: "For a dog, you're surprisingly well-trained."
His jaw tightened. Again. Dog. Always dog.
Azrael: "Consider me a human being."
Selena: "No."
She stepped closer. Too close. Their faces were only inches apart.
Azrael felt heat crawl up his neck.
Azrael: "What are you doing?"
Selena: "You will always be my little guard dog. You should be grateful a princess like me gives you attention at all."
Something snapped inside him. He looked away sharply.
Azrael: "I'm not a dog. I belong to no one. I guard no one. I act because I choose to."
She studied his expression for a second. Then shrugged lightly.
Selena: "Don't take everything so seriously. I was joking." A pause. "You still have a terrible personality though."
He ignored her. Turning away, he started walking back toward the room.
Selena: "Azrael."
He stopped but didn't turn.
Azrael: "What?"
Selena: "You should fix your hair. At least save your image a little."
Azrael: "I don't care."
He resumed walking. Then a sharp tug. His body jerked backward. She had grabbed his hair.
He turned instantly, anger flashing in his eyes.
Azrael: "Don't touch me."
Selena: "I don't have bad intentions. Sit."
Azrael: "I said no."
A metallic sound echoed. A blade.
He stared at it.
Azrael: "You're insane."
Selena: "Sit."
A long exhale escaped him. He gave up.
She dragged him into the bathroom. Without another word she pushed him down onto a stool and turned on the water. Cold water ran through his hair. Her fingers moved carefully, massaging shampoo into the dark strands.
Azrael went still.
Someone taking care of him. It felt unfamiliar. And painfully familiar at the same time.
A memory surfaced. An old woman. Gentle hands. Warm laughter. A small room that smelled of herbs. His chest tightened unexpectedly. A bitter melancholy settled over him.
Selena noticed his sudden silence but said nothing. She continued washing, rinsing, brushing, her movements surprisingly delicate.
Why does she care this much?
He finally asked it.
Azrael: "Why are you doing this?"
She smiled faintly.
Selena: "I have two younger sisters. I used to do their hair all the time. I loved it." A small pause. "Now I'm at the academy. I can't go back often."
She poured another bucket of water over his head before he could respond.
Selena: "And I need something to distract myself."
He couldn't help thinking about how expensive the products must be. Of course. Princess things.
She then pulled out a pair of scissors. The metallic click made him jolt.
Azrael: "What are you doing?"
Selena: "Relax. I'll keep it long. Just removing what makes you look like a scum."
He stayed quiet. Minutes passed. Snip. Brush. Adjust.
Finally she stepped back.
Selena: "Done!"
Azrael stood slowly and faced the mirror.
He froze.
The difference was undeniable. Before, his long tangled hair had hidden his entire face, making him look wild, neglected. Now his raven-black hair flowed smoothly down his back. Clean. Shiny. Silky under the light. A few strands fell over his forehead, framing his face without hiding it.
For the first time in a long while he could see himself. Sharp eyebrows. Almond-shaped black eyes. Straight nose. Defined jawline. His skin pale but smooth. The scars were still there. But they didn't ruin him. They made him look real. Masculine. He looked like a normal young man.
He stared at his reflection in disbelief.
Selena crossed her arms proudly.
Selena: "Now you look slightly less stupid next to me."
He ignored the insult. But something in his chest felt strange.
Azrael: "Thank you."
The words clearly annoyed him. Thanking a noble. Yet he couldn't deny the effort.
She smirked.
Selena: "You see? You can act normal when you try." Her tone shifted playfully. "But don't thank me. Consider it a debt."
Azrael: "I don't like debts."
Selena: "Too bad."
She walked past him toward the bedroom, smiling. He followed.
They both lay down again. This time, closer. Selena still held a long blade loosely in her hand. Eventually silence returned. Breathing slowed. The night deepened.
But one thing did not go unnoticed.
Selena's heartbeat. Steady. Yet slightly faster than it should have been. Because no matter how composed she acted, a new image had engraved itself into her mind.
And she could not forget it.