I dropped my sword with a heavy, echoing clang that silenced the murmur of the surrounding the room. Stepping forward with purposeful stride, I positioned myself directly before her.
In that instant, her tearful eyes flickered and lightened—as if they held a fragile spark of hope—and I asked, almost reverently, "Do you think I will kill you?"
She stared at me intently, her gaze deep and unwavering, and offered no reply. The silence between us was thick enough to taste.
Slowly, I sank to my knees and gently closed the gap, taking both of her trembling hands into mine. "Why would I kill you?" I murmured, my voice soft yet resolute. "I told you I would save you."
Her fingers squeezed mine as bursts of sobs wracked her delicate form. "I was terrified," she confessed between heartbroken cries.
