"Those people?" I asked, voice barely audible.
"Shh," he said, his hand gently covering mine. "Don't let them hear you."
Fear gripped me. My body trembled.
What if they found us again? What if they—
"Don't worry," Ciel said softly, his voice low and calm despite the tension in his posture. "I've concealed our presence. They can't sense us here."
His fingers squeezed mine gently. "Just breathe. I won't let anything happen to you."
His voice was soft, reassuring.
"They won't find us."
Something about the way he said it made my fear ease, just a little. I let myself relax into his warmth.
Then I heard it — faint, but clear.
Footsteps. Voices.
The clinking sound of metal reins.
"Their chariot is here," one of them said.
Panic surged in my chest again. I clung closer to Ciel, burying my face against him.
The footsteps grew louder.
Closer.
Then one voice murmured, "They're not here."
I held my breath, muscles tensed.
Silence.
Then — the sound of footsteps fading.
