The fire crackled softly in the hearth, its light casting flickering shadows across the walls of the battered cabin. Elyra sat on the worn rug, her knees drawn to her chest, her golden eyes staring into the flames. Dain leaned against the couch behind her, his knuckles still raw
from the fight with the creature. The room was silent except for the occasional pop of the firewood.
"That thing..." Elyra started, her voice barely above a whisper. "It wasn't like anything we've ever seen before."
Dain nodded, staring at his hands. "It knew us."
Elyra turned to look at him. His face was unreadable, but his shoulders were tense. "What do you mean?"
"The way it looked at us," Dain murmured. "It wasn't just attacking. It was hunting. For us."
Elyra shivered, pulling the blanket tighter around her shoulders. The weight of the encounter pressed heavily on both of them, but something deeper lingered in the air.
"You didn't have to put yourself in danger like that," she said, breaking the silence.noveldrama
Dain's eyes snapped to hers, sharp and unyielding. "Of course I did. What was I supposed to do? Let it hurt you?"
"I'm not helpless," Elyra replied, her tone firmer than she intended.
"I know you're not," Dain said quickly, his voice softening. "But I can't just stand by. It's not who I am."
Elyra held his gaze, searching for the right words. But the truth was, she didn't know how to explain the confusing pull she felt toward him-the strange mix of comfort and tension that had been growing between them.
"You're always protecting me," she said, her voice faltering. "Even when I don't ask you to."
"Because I have to," Dain said, the words slipping out before he could stop them.
Elyra frowned. "Why?"
Dain exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. "I don't know. I just... I feel like if I don't, something terrible will happen."
The room fell silent again, the firelight dancing in Elyra's golden eyes. She didn't know how to respond, and Dain didn't push her. They sat like that for a long while, the unspoken feelings between them growing heavier with each passing moment.