𝙱𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝙸𝚗 𝚂𝚑𝚊𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚜

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝟸𝟷: 𝙰 𝙽𝚎𝚠 𝚃𝚑𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝

---

Elara stood by the window, watching the quiet streets

below as twilight settled over the city. The golden hues

of sunset faded into the deep purples of night, casting

long shadows across the room. Despite the calm outside,

an unsettling tension lingered in the air. She could feel it

-a subtle shift in Darius's demeanor, like a storm

brewing beneath his calm exterior.He had been distant

lately, more so than usual. Elara could always sense

when something was troubling him, but this time, it was

different. His eyes, usually so full of warmth when they

rested on her, had grown colder, more guarded, as if he

was holding something back.Elara turned from the

window, her gaze falling on Darius. He was seated at the

small wooden table in the corner of their apartment, his

shoulders tense as he scrolled through his phone, his

brow furrowed in concentration. She knew that look-it

was the look he wore when something from his past

came creeping back into their lives.She approached him

quietly, her bare feet padding across the floor. "Darius?"

Her voice was soft, but it cut through the silence like a

knife.He looked up, quickly setting his phone face down

on the table. His jaw clenched for a brief second before

he offered her a small, forced smile. "Yeah?"Elara crossed

her arms, standing a few feet away from him. "What's

going on? You've been distant... and you're hiding

something. I can feel it."Darius sighed, running a hand

through his dark hair. "Elara, it's nothing. Just... work.

I've been busy."She raised an eyebrow, her arms still

crossed. "Don't lie to me, Darius. I know when you're

lying."There was a long pause as he avoided her gaze,

staring down at the table. Elara's patience was wearing

thin. She stepped closer, placing a hand on his arm. "Talk

to me," she urged softly. "Please." Darius tensed under

her touch, but he didn't pull away. Finally, after what

felt like an eternity, he spoke. "It's nothing you need to

worry about."Her heart sank at his words. He was

shutting her out again, just like he had before. She had

thought they had moved past this-past the secrets and

the walls he built to keepher out. But here they were

again, back in that familiar place of distance and