Whispers Of The Shadows-The UNKNOWN

The Veil

Gabriel returned within minutes, his usual sharp attire replaced with something more relaxed a simple shirt and dark trousers. His hair was slightly tousled, as though he had rushed, and for a moment, Zahra found herself unable to look away. There was something different about him tonight, something softer beneath the stoic exterior.

"Let’s go," he said, extending his hand to her. She hesitated briefly before placing her hand in his, his touch firm yet oddly reassuring. He led her through the grand hallway, the staff lowering their heads as they passed, too stunned to meet their boss’s gaze.

The backyard was quiet, bathed in the gentle glow of moonlight. The crisp night air carried the faint scent of jasmine, and the rustling of leaves filled the silence between them. Gabriel guided Zahra to a small bench beneath an ancient oak tree, helping her sit before taking a place beside her.

"You didn’t have to rush here," Zahra said softly, breaking the silence. Her voice carried a mixture of gratitude and uncertainty.

Gabriel looked at her, his eyes unusually vulnerable in the dim light. "I did," he replied simply. "I couldn’t sit back and not see you. I had to make sure you were okay."

The sincerity in his voice caught her off guard. She had seen Gabriel’s coldness, his ruthlessness but this side of him was new, and it left her unsure of how to respond.

For a while, they sat there in silence, the world around them fading into the background. Gabriel’s gaze never left her, as if he were afraid she might vanish if he looked away. Finally, Zahra spoke again, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Why do you care so much, Gabriel?"

The question hung in the air, heavy and unspoken until now. Gabriel leaned back, his expression unreadable, as though he were weighing his words. "I don’t know," he admitted after a moment. "Maybe because I’ve never cared for anyone before. Maybe because… you make me care."

The words struck her like a gentle breeze, unexpected yet undeniable. Zahra didn’t know what to say, so she simply looked away, her heart conflicted. The night seemed to stretch endlessly, and for the first time, neither of them felt the urge to break the moment.

The silence lingered between them, stretching like a fragile thread neither dared to break. Zahra’s gaze drifted to the night sky, the stars scattered like tiny beacons of hope against the velvety darkness. She could feel Gabriel’s eyes on her, but for once, his intensity didn’t feel suffocating it felt grounding.

"I never imagined you’d care for anyone," she said softly, almost to herself. Her voice was steady, though her emotions were a tangled mess. "You’ve always been… unreachable."

Gabriel’s lips twitched into the faintest hint of a smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. "That’s because I never gave anyone a reason to think otherwise." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, his hands clasped tightly. "Caring makes you weak. At least, that’s what I always believed. But now… now I’m not so sure."

Zahra turned to him, her expression unreadable. "You think caring for me makes you weak?"

His head snapped toward her, his dark eyes narrowing slightly, not in anger but in frustration though whether it was directed at her or himself, she couldn’t tell. "No," he said firmly. "I think it makes me human. And I hate that it terrifies me."

The raw honesty in his voice left her speechless. This was a side of Gabriel she never thought she’d see a man struggling to reconcile his emotions with the walls he had built around himself for so long.

"You’re not weak, Gabriel," she said finally, her voice softer now. "You’re just… learning to feel."

For a moment, his expression softened, and he seemed almost vulnerable. He opened his mouth to respond, but then his phone buzzed in his pocket, shattering the fragile atmosphere.