𝙱𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝙸𝚗 𝚂𝚑𝚊𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚜

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝟷𝟺: 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙵𝚒𝚛𝚜𝚝 𝙳𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎

---
It was a rare night of celebration. Elara had been

restless all day, her mind swirling with memories of her

life before Darius, before the darkness. When Darius

found her standing by the window, lost in thought, he

approached quietly.

"What's on your mind?" he asked gently, standing

behind her.

Elara smiled wistfully. "I was just thinking about...

normal things. Like dancing. I used to love it."

Darius raised an eyebrow. "Dancing?"

She laughed softly. "Yeah, but I haven't in forever. It's

silly, I know."

Without a word, Darius held out his hand. Elara blinked

up at him, surprised.

"Dance with me," he said, his voice soft but

commanding.

There was no music, but it didn't matter. Elara took his

hand, and he pulled her close. They swayed together in

the quiet room, moving in sync with a rhythm that was

all their own. Darius's hand was firm on her waist, his

touch grounding her as they danced through the night.

Elara rested her head against his chest, her heart full in

a way she hadn't expected. In his arms, she felt safe.

Loved.

For the first time in a long time, she felt like she could

breathe.

---