The rooftop remained hushed in Eveline's absence, the frost she left behind slowly fading under the soft kiss of morning light. Elara took a step back from the edge, exhaling a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
The moment was still—until the shimmer of teleportation magic pulsed again behind her.
Cedric stepped through, his boots crunching softly on the frost-rimed stone. He looked different. The weeks apart had hardened something in his eyes, yet when he saw her, the familiar furrow of concern appeared all the same.
"Elara," he said, his voice quiet but steady.
"Cedric." She turned toward him with a slight nod, the steel in her posture unchanged. She expected words—maybe questions. But before either could speak further, another pulse of magic flickered between them.
And just like that, Eveline returned.
