The Draven estate was quiet, its towers bathed in silver moonlight. Yet within their private chamber, Astra could find no peace. She sat on the edge of the bed, the old sketch clutched tightly in her trembling hands. The image of the little girl—her younger self—seemed to stare back at her, accusing, demanding answers she could not give.
Tears welled in her eyes and slipped down her cheeks, silent and unbidden. She pressed the paper against her heart, her breath uneven. "Why now… why does everything feel like it's slipping apart?" she whispered to herself.
The door creaked softly, and Astra startled, quickly trying to hide the sketch. But Kaelen stood there, his eyes catching the faint glimmer of her tears in the moonlight. He said nothing at first. Instead, he crossed the room with steady, unhurried steps and knelt in front of her.
"Astra," he said gently, his voice calm, unshaken. "You don't have to carry this weight alone."
She tried to look away, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "It's nothing, Kael. Just… exhaustion. I'll be fine."
But Kaelen reached out and took both of her hands into his own, firm yet tender. His touch was grounding, warm against her trembling fingers. He leaned closer, his gaze steady, unwavering.
"Even if the sky itself falls," he said softly, "I will stand with you. You and the children are my whole world. If something hurts you, then it hurts me too. Please… let me in."
Astra's composure cracked. A sob escaped her throat, and she bowed her head until her forehead rested against his shoulder. Her tears soaked into his shirt as Kaelen wrapped his arms around her, holding her as though she might shatter if he let go.
"I don't know who I am anymore," she whispered, her voice broken. "There are pieces of me I don't understand—faces I shouldn't recognize, feelings I can't explain. And tonight… I found something. Something that terrifies me."
Kaelen's grip tightened protectively around her. "Whatever it is, we'll face it together. Nothing can take you from me, Astra. Nothing."
For a moment she wanted to tell him everything—the sketch, the name Aria, the pull she had felt when she saw Avni. But the fear of confirming it, of unraveling the life she had built with him and their children, made her bite the words back.
Instead, she whispered, "Promise me, Kael… promise that no matter what comes, you'll protect them. Protect me."
He pulled back just enough to look her in the eyes, his thumbs brushing away her tears. "I swear it. With my life."
Their children slept peacefully in the next room, unaware of the storm brewing in their mother's heart. Astra leaned into Kaelen's embrace again, torn between confession and silence. She couldn't bring herself to hand him the sketch just yet, but for tonight, she allowed herself the comfort of his strength.
As the moon drifted across the sky, Astra clung to Kaelen's words. For the first time since the call with Avni, her trembling eased. But deep within, the secret burned brighter than ever.