Selene didn’t move at first. She only stared at Darius’s still form, the faint shimmer of red under his closed eyelids turning her veins cold. The night air was heavy; even the crickets outside had gone silent. For a second, she thought she might still be dreaming, trapped in Kael’s echo.

Then Darius’s breathing changed. His chest rose sharply, and he opened his eyes.

Silver. Not red. Calm. Alert.

“Selene?” His voice was rough from sleep, but steady. “You’re shaking.”

She ...