. ݁ ˖【 @eadimidium 】. ݁ ˖
Castiel did not move his hands at first — not until he was certain the sigil had fully burned itself out. Only then did he ease his grip, stepping back a single, deliberate pace as though remembering, belatedly, the concept of personal space.
“Long enough,” he answered, eyes flicking to the fading marks on the floor before returning to her. There was something intent in the way he studied her now — not predatory, but recognizing. As if some hidden frequency in her had finally come into focus.
“You were not alone,” he said quietly. “You were unprotected.”
His head tilted, that familiar, unsettling angle.
“You are not entirely human,” Castiel continued, voice low with certainty. “And whatever triggered that sigil was not meant for creatures who still possess a soul.”
A pause — then, softer:
“I intervened because you hesitated. That implies you are not what hunts you.”