The corridor fell into a suffocating silence.
No one moved.
No one breathed.
The torchlight flickered weakly against the stone walls, casting shadows across Alexander's face that made him appear less like a king and more like something ancient standing in human skin.
Ariana's pulse thundered painfully in her chest.
Sebastian leaned heavily against her side, blood staining the fabric wrapped around his ribs. His breathing had become uneven again, weaker now from the effort of moving through the underground passages.
But it was not Sebastian's condition that terrified her most.
It was Alexander's eyes.
Because she had seen anger before.
She had seen cruelty.
She had seen the cold, merciless calm he wore like armor before battle.
This was different.
This was something quieter.
And far more dangerous.
Alexander's gaze remained fixed on the way Ariana held Sebastian.
On the way she stood in front of him without hesitation.
Protecting him.
Choosing him.
