His words rang with finality, but it was the look in his eyes that made Alarna's stomach twist. He wasn't just angry. He was done.
Jian Ci turned on his heel. "I need to study. Go back alone."
Alarna stood frozen as he walked away, the distance between them growing with every step. She had rarely seen him this genuinely upset. The look in his eyes just now had been distant, almost hollow, like he was staring through her. Like she was a stranger or worse, a threat.
It reminded her of that night. The night he had lost control.
The night he had looked at her with that same terrifying stillness, that same quiet fury that made her feel like she was standing in front of something barely leashed.
She knew if she let him go now, he wouldn't speak to her for two days, maybe longer.
So she reached out and grabbed his wrist. "I was wrong," she said quickly, her voice trembling just enough. "I just… I get jealous sometimes."
