** Eliana and Kieran shared kiss**

Eliana's heartbeat was still racing, her body molded against Kieran's warmth, as if his presence alone could keep the darkness at bay. The ridge was behind them, but the weight in her chest remained, heavy and unshakable.

She could still hear it—the whisper, the name, **Aurelya**—clawing at the edges of her mind. But right now, in this moment, she clung to something real. Something solid.

Him.

Her fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt, the rapid rise and fall of his chest matching her own uneven breaths. Kieran hadn't let go of her yet, his arms still wrapped around her as if he wasn't sure she could stand on her own. Maybe she couldn't.

When she looked up, she found his golden eyes already on her. Watching. Searching.

Something inside her cracked. She didn't want to think. Didn't want to remember.

So she did the only thing that made sense.

She kissed him.

It was impulsive, desperate—her lips pressing against his in a fevered need to drown out everything else. To silence the whispers, the fear, the ache. She expected hesitation, but Kieran didn't pull away. For a moment, he was still, as if caught off guard. Then, with a sharp inhale, he responded.

His grip tightened, his fingers pressing into her waist, pulling her impossibly closer. The heat of him, the sheer strength beneath his touch, sent a shiver down her spine. His lips were firm, yet gentle, moving against hers with a slow intensity that sent a flood of warmth through her veins.

Time blurred. The world around them faded. There was only the taste of him, the way his hand cradled the back of her head, anchoring her to the present. A deep, unspoken emotion simmered between them, raw and untamed.

Then—

A sharp cough shattered the moment.

Eliana's breath caught as she pulled away, her eyes widening in horror as she realized they weren't alone.

Caelan stood a few feet away, arms crossed, one brow raised in dry amusement. "Well," he drawled, his tone laced with mock innocence, "don't stop on my account."

Heat surged up Eliana's neck, her hands instantly dropping from Kieran's chest. Her pulse was still erratic, her lips tingling from the kiss, but now an entirely different emotion took over.

Embarrassment.

Kieran exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair before turning his glare on Caelan. "You really have the worst timing."

Caelan smirked. "Or maybe you two just have the worst location. Middle of nowhere, shadows creeping up on us, and here you are having a moment." He let out an exaggerated sigh. "Honestly, I thought we were running for our lives. Silly me."

Eliana groaned, burying her face in her hands. The air between them had shifted, thick with something unsaid. The weight of the kiss still lingered, but now it was tangled with awkwardness.

Kieran, however, didn't seem nearly as rattled. He let out a slow breath, then turned back to her, his voice softer, steadier. "Are you alright?"

She hesitated, fingers still curled into fists at her sides. Was she?

She didn't know.

The fear from before was still there, lurking in the shadows of her mind, but Kieran's touch had grounded her in a way she didn't understand. She nodded, but her voice betrayed her. "I think so."

Kieran studied her for a long moment before nodding. He didn't press, didn't demand an answer she wasn't ready to give.

Caelan clapped his hands together, breaking the tension once more. "Great. Now that we've all had our dramatic moment, can we focus? We're not exactly out of danger."

Eliana let out a breath, forcing herself to step back, to shake off the overwhelming emotions still clinging to her. He was right.

This wasn't over.

But as she glanced at Kieran one last time, meeting his unwavering gaze, she knew one thing for certain.

That kiss

had changed something.

And there was no going back now.