The night hung heavy, the clear sky revealing a full moon so bright it seemed close enough to touch. The balcony of Kael's room—a side extension of the room Raven had let him "temporarily occupy"—was silent except for the whisper of the wind and the distant sound of drunken conversation from the street below.
Kael sat on the edge of the balcony, one leg dangling over the side, his gaze lost in the vastness of the moon. The silvery glow illuminated his face softly, accentuating his tired, pensive expression.
Behind him, inside the room, the succubus slept. Sazhara had curled up between the sheets like a child exhausted after a nightmare, still clutching one of the pillows as if her safety depended on it. Despite everything, there was a genuine peace there — a stark contrast to the restlessness that consumed Kael inside.
