Unbelivable

The two sat in the quiet glow of the fire, the cavern filled with nothing but the soft crackle of flames and the faint rustle of the wind beyond its entrance. Aeliana's gaze lingered on the dancing embers, but her thoughts were far from still.

The silence, though calming at first, started to gnaw at her. It felt too open, too vulnerable, as if it invited her to think too much. Her hands brushed against her exposed arms, and the sensation of the cool air against her skin felt foreign, unsettling. She had spent so long shrouded in her veil, protected from the world's touch, that this bare openness felt almost intrusive.

Unable to bear the silence any longer, she spoke.

"How did you know?"

Luca turned his head slightly, his dark eyes flicking toward her. "Know what?" he asked, his voice light.

"That I was watching you," she said, her voice quieter now, tinged with curiosity and a hint of apprehension.