The Lost Crown: A Fate Unwritten
part 5: A Dance of Shadows and Fire
The night air is thick with tension as Elara and Kieran move through the city’s labyrinthine streets.
The warning from the hooded figure still lingers in their minds, but something unspoken crackles between them something neither of them is willing to acknowledge just yet
They stop near an old fountain in a secluded courtyard, its water shimmering under the pale moonlight. Kieran checks their surroundings before finally relaxing, if only slightly. Elara crosses her arms, watching him with quiet curiosity.
Kieran
[hesitating] “You. This… everything."
His voice is unusually serious, and it makes something shift inside Elara. She swallows, looking away toward the fountain.
Elara
I didn’t ask for any of this, you know.”
Kieran
[Smirking slightly] “And yet, you’re handling it better than most would.”
Elara exhales, shaking her head
Elara
I don’t even know if I can trust you
Kieran steps closer, the space between them narrowing. She can feel the heat of his presence, the way his eyes flicker with something unreadable.
Kieran
You don’t have to trust me, Elara. But you do have to believe that I won’t let anything happen to you.
Her breath catches. It’s not just the words it’s the way he says them, like a quiet vow wrapped in steel. Her fingers tighten at her sides as she tries to fight the strange pull between them
Elara
Whispering] “Why do you care?
Kieran chuckles, but there’s no amusement in it. He lifts a hand, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face before she can stop him
Kieran
Softly] “That’s the question, isn’t it?”
Elara stiffens, but she doesn’t pull away. Instead, she meets his gaze, searching for an answer she’s not sure she wants to find. The moment stretches, thick with something unspoken.
A sudden gust of wind makes the fountain’s water ripple. Kieran exhales sharply and takes a step back, breaking the spell
Kieran
We should keep moving.
Elara nods, but her heart is still racing for reasons that have nothing to do with the danger around them. As they slip back into the shadows of the city, she can’t shake the feeling that something between them has shifted—something inevitable and dangerous in its own way
But whether it’s a distraction or a revelation, only time will tell.
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