With Sanathiel absent, Skiller remained on the balcony beside her. The weight of his words lingered in the air like a shadow impossible to ignore. Then, with his trademark carefree smile, Skiller dropped a bombshell.
"The day they locked me up and I almost died… it was Rasen's blood that brought me back. He's alive, Aisha."
She froze, leaning on the railing.Her eyes, which moments earlier reflected confusion, now brimmed with a storm of emotions.
"What are you saying?" she whispered.
Skiller took a step closer, unapologetically invading her personal space."I need you to trust me. There are things even Sanathiel doesn't know, but I'll tell you… if you help me."
Aisha's heart pounded in her chest.Rasen.The name echoed in her mind like an open wound.A past that never stopped chasing her.
She swallowed hard, feeling as if the ground beneath her were crumbling."How can you be so sure?" she asked, her voice barely audible.
"Because I felt it. In my blood. In my bones." Skiller leaned in, his voice a rasping whisper. "And I know you feel it too, Aisha."
Before she could respond, a new presence interrupted the moment.Sanathiel.
He appeared in the garden as if the air itself had shifted to announce him.His mere presence silenced the conversation, consuming all attention.But Aisha was already gone.
His gaze drifted slowly from Skiller, to the woman behind him, then to the bloodstained shirt Dimitri held.
"What the hell is going on here?" Sanathiel demanded, his voice sharp and cold as a blade.
Dimitri turned with his usual sardonic smile, tossing the garment toward Skiller."Nothing you can't handle, I suppose. Just a little mistake from my dear brother."
Skiller caught it mid-air with casual grace.Behind him, a woman fumbled with her dress, cheeks burning in embarrassment.
Sanathiel crossed his arms.He looked every bit a king surveying his subjects with disdain.
"What kind of circus is this, Skiller?"
The accused only shrugged with a lazy grin."Relax, little brother. Just another day in the life of Skiller Snova."
Dimitri, however, wasn't nearly as amused.He stepped forward, his voice dipping into dangerous tones."At the very least, try to honor the Snova name. Our reputation is already in tatters without your… performances."
Skiller raised his hands in mock surrender."Reputation? What's that? Oh right, it's what you use to justify how painfully dull you are."
Sanathiel, tired of the growing tension, cut in with authority."This ends now. I didn't come to babysit your drama, Skiller. If there's anything else I need to know, speak now."
Skiller held his gaze but said nothing.
Before Sanathiel could look away, Dimitri added his final warning."Remember who you are, Skiller. Where you come from. If you don't respect your name, no one else will."
But something felt off.
Sanathiel frowned.His eyes scanned Skiller, then the space behind him.
And when he spoke again, his voice—usually steady—carried a thread of urgency he couldn't hide."Where's Aisha?"
Skiller smiled, unmoving.They slowly stepped aside.
And there she was…A girl.But not Aisha.
The air thickened.
The silence between them thundered louder than any scream.Sanathiel felt a chill of cold rage creep down his spine.
"As you can see, she rejected my offer, White Wolf," Skiller said, his tone cool and calculated. "I just told her the truth—the one you never do."
Sanathiel clenched his jaw. The truth. Always the damn truth.
"It's the one you always refuse to see," Skiller added.
Dimitri chuckled dryly."As always, Skiller. Exposing everyone's secrets… except your own."
Hours Later
Aisha found a moment of peace on the balcony of the guest room where they were staying for the lavish gathering. The night breeze was soothing, but her mind was still a whirlwind of thoughts.
She couldn't deny what she felt for Sanathiel, but she also knew… this bond was changing her.
"You always run when things get interesting."Sanathiel's voice startled her—but didn't surprise her.
He stood in the shadows, his figure lit only by moonlight.
"I'm not running. I just… need to breathe."
Sanathiel approached slowly, as if giving her the chance to walk away."Breathing space… from me?"
Aisha looked at him, her chest rising and falling with an emotion she didn't dare name."To understand what this is… I need time to think."
He raised a hand, resting it gently on her cheek—cool to the touch, but comforting.
"And what have you figured out so far?"
Aisha closed her eyes, absorbing his nearness, his overwhelming presence."That no matter how much I deny it… I don't want to walk away."
Sanathiel needed no more.
In one fluid motion, he pulled her close and kissed her.
The first contact was a clash of fire and ice, a battle between resistance and surrender. But when Aisha responded, the kiss became a claim. Sanathiel's hands found her waist, drawing her closer. Aisha felt the world fall away—reduced to nothing but him.
Until—
A wave of dizziness hit her. She leaned forward and vomited onto his shirt.
Sanathiel pulled away instantly, steadying her."Aisha?"
She clutched her head, struggling to catch her breath."No… it's nothing. Just… too much in one day."
He frowned, instinct telling him this wasn't just fatigue."How long have you felt like this?"
Aisha tried to smile it off."Since you walked into my life."
Sanathiel didn't smile.
He peeled off the soiled shirt, his gaze hardened—like her vulnerability had stirred something in him… something uncomfortable, something he couldn't ignore.
Gently, he helped her to the couch. As he wrapped a blanket around her, he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead."Rest now. Tomorrow will be a new day."
Before she could reply, he walked away silently.
He stopped on the balcony, letting the moonlight wash over his bare skin.
His heart beat fast—but not with desire.
It was the weight of something deeper.Something he'd never admit out loud.
The wind brushed his face softly, and Sanathiel closed his eyes, letting it remind him just how fleeting this moment truly was.