The room was cloaked in a heavy stillness, the kind that pressed down on Luca's chest like a weight. The faint glow of the lantern on the desk flickered, its shadows stretching across the walls like watchful eyes. He sat across from Aurelia, her sharp gaze fixed sharply on him, colder than any winter wind.
Her lips parted, her tone low yet cutting.
"What… Did you say?"
Luca's scalp tingled, the hair at the nape of his neck prickling as though danger itself lingered in the air. He forced a smile, though it faltered almost instantly.
"Ah—I meant… not kidnap," he stammered, his voice unsteady. "She… needed my help."
Aurelia didn't blink. Her glare hardened, her words biting as they cut through the silence.
"Her Majesty. The Empress of the Empire. The strongest woman in the world… needed your help?"
His throat went dry. His palms curled into fists in his lap, nails digging against his skin. "I… I mean my ability," he said quickly. "The visions."
