Eren's fingers traced the silver scar along his collarbone—a reminder of three nights past when the dreams had turned violent. He'd woken thrashing in his sheets, sweat-soaked and disoriented, convinced he was fighting alongside her on Thornvale's blood-soaked fields. With each passing night, the line between dreams and waking life blurred further.
The siblings finished bathing in comfortable silence, lost in their own thoughts as steam curled around them. Walking down the corridor toward their chambers, Eren reached for Naia's arm, gently pulling her into a shadowed alcove between two ornate pillars. The spot was hidden from view, where the thick stone walls would keep their whispered words from reaching curious ears.
"Don't tell Mother," Eren said firmly. "Promise me."
Naia's expression softened slightly, though concern still lined her features. "I told you before that I won't tell mom," she said, squeezing her sibling's arm reassuringly.
