Silas did not speak immediately after her last words.
For a brief moment, he simply stood there, watching her as though weighing something that had already been decided long before he stepped into the clearing.
When he finally moved, it wasn't toward her.
It was back.
A single, measured step.
"Then I suppose," he said calmly, "I've been more patient than necessary."
Selena didn't respond, but her stance shifted—subtle, controlled, her weight redistributing as instinct took over where thought no longer needed to.
Silas's gaze held hers.
"I gave you a chance."
His voice was calm.
"And whatever happens next," he continued, "is entirely on you."
Selena let out a small breath that almost sounded like a laugh.
"That would mean something," she said, "if you were capable of giving anything without taking twice as much in return."
Silas didn't react.
Instead, he lifted his hand slightly.
That was all it took.
The forest shifted.
