Chapter 16

He walked beside me, his movements measured, his gaze fixed on the horizon. Always unreadable. I wanted to demand answers, to peel back the layers of his stoic demeanor and force him to explain himself. But something held me back—a storm of emotions I couldn’t yet untangle. Anger, betrayal, and something softer I refused to name.

Finally, the silence became unbearable.

“You disappeared,” I said, the accusation slipping out before I could stop it.

“No warning. No explanation. Nothing. You just left.”

He slowed his pace but didn’t stop, his jaw tightening.

“You think it was that simple, Elara? That I wanted to leave?”

I stopped walking, planting myself in his path and forcing him to look at me.