Party

>>Aelin

By the time Uriel and Ariston returned, Reagan was long gone, and the heavy silence he left in his wake was suffocating. I barely registered the sound of the door opening. My body felt heavy, weighed down by the invisible chains of his words. My hands trembled slightly, clasped tightly in my lap as I tried to steady my breathing.

Uriel's cheerful voice broke through the fog. "The prince already left? That was fast." They both entered the room, snapping me out of my thoughts.

Ariston frowned slightly but didn't press further. Instead, his gaze landed on me, his expression softening almost instantly. "You look pale... Did something happen?"

I shook my head quickly, forcing a weak smile to mask the churning sickness inside me. "I'm fine," I whispered, though my voice wavered.