Morning did not arrive in this place the way it did elsewhere.
It seeped in slowly, as though even the sun hesitated to touch the Ruined King's domain.
Elira stood by the window long before anyone came for her, watching a land that looked like it had forgotten how to heal. Blackened forests stretched beyond the horizon, their branches still and skeletal, unmoving even under wind.
The door opened behind her.
She did not turn immediately.
"You are awake earlier than expected," Kael said.
His voice carried no surprise, only observation.
Elira finally faced him. "Sleep does not come easily when the air itself feels cursed."
A pause lingered between them.
Kael stepped further inside. "You will become accustomed to it."
"Or I will not stay long enough to."
The bond between them reacted faintly, a pull beneath the skin, subtle yet constant. Kael's gaze sharpened at the sensation, as though he too felt the reminder of their connection.
"You speak of leaving as though it is a choice," he said.
Elira tilted her head slightly. "Is it not?"
For the briefest moment, something unreadable crossed his expression.
"No," he answered quietly. "It is not."