MORNING LIGHT AND UNSPOKEN PROMISES

The soft glow of the underworld's artificial morning seeped into the small hut, the embers in the hearth now no more than gentle ash. Evelyn stirred first, her eyelashes fluttering as she blinked into the dim light. For a brief moment, she forgot where she was. Then, her gaze fell upon the man beside her—Lucian.

He was still asleep, or at least pretending to be. One arm was beneath his head, the other resting lightly across her waist. His expression was calm, unguarded—completely unlike the stern commander most knew.

Evelyn smiled to herself.

He really let me in, she thought.

Her fingers gently traced the edge of the scar on his jaw, the same one she had touched the night before. She had seen him fight for the king, stand tall through battles, command respect in the court. But here, in this moment, he was just a man. Her man.

Lucian opened one eye slowly, catching her gaze. "You're staring," he murmured, his voice deep and husky.

"And you're pretending to sleep," she replied with a small smirk.

He chuckled lowly, pulling her a little closer. "I was hoping if I stayed still enough, you'd do that thing with your fingers again."

Evelyn raised a brow. "You mean this?" She trailed her hand teasingly along his chest.

"That's exactly the thing."

Their laughter mingled in the hush of the morning. For a brief moment, everything outside that hut felt distant—no Azarath, no Zamiel, no Velma in danger.

Just them.

But as the quiet settled in, Lucian's face began to shift. His smile faded slightly. Evelyn noticed it instantly.

"You're thinking about everything again," she said, her voice softer.

Lucian didn't deny it. He sat up slowly, the furs falling around his waist. "I can't help it. There's so much at stake. Velma's leaving tonight if all goes well. And if anything happens—"

Evelyn placed her hand on his back, steady and warm. "Then we face it together."

He turned to her. "You're not just saying that because of last night, right?"

She shook her head. "Lucian, I would've said that even if we hadn't touched at all. But I meant everything from last night. I've loved you long before you ever looked my way."

He sighed, his hand covering hers. "I don't deserve you."

"Maybe not," she said with a teasing smile. "But you've got me anyway."

Lucian laughed, the tension easing for a moment. "You really are something else."

They dressed in silence, stealing glances and small smiles between the motions. Once they stepped out of the hut, the world rushed back to meet them.

Lucian's posture straightened again, the mask of duty slipping back into place. Evelyn noticed it but said nothing.

"I have to make sure everything's in place for tonight," Lucian said, his voice cooler now—more focused.

"I'll cover for you if needed," Evelyn replied, equally serious.

They shared one last kiss, brief but meaningful.

"Tonight," she whispered, "be careful."

Lucian nodded and disappeared down the path, leaving Evelyn standing in the fading mist with a heart that had both bloomed and begun to ache.