The grey light of dawn had begun to seep through the clouds, pale and cold, painting the battlements in shades of silver and pearl. The wind had died, and the world was quiet, suspended in that fragile moment between night and day. I sat on the stone bench in the alcove, alone now, Kaelen's warmth fading from my side.
He had walked away.
Not in anger, not exactly. His face had been pale, his eyes shadowed, his jaw tight. He had not spoken, had not looked at me, had simply risen from the bench and walked toward the stairs that led down from the battlements. His footsteps had echoed on the stone, fading into silence, and then he was gone.
I watched him go, my heart breaking.
