The moon hung high in the night sky, casting a silver glow over the forest as Opal and Kael walked side by side. The air was cool, crisp, the scent of pine and fallen leaves swirling around them. The soft rustle of the wind through the branches was the only sound, the world quiet, waiting.
Opal's heart raced, her chest tight, her mind spinning. Why did he have to come? Why did he have to make this so complicated? She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, his tall figure relaxed, his shoulders squared, his blue eyes focused on the path ahead. He looked calm, composed, but there was a tension in his posture, a tightness in his jaw that told her he wasn't as at ease as he pretended to be.
Kael broke the silence first, his voice low, rough. "I shouldn't have come."
Opal's chest tightened, her heart pounding. "Then why did you?"
