Chapter 23: The Covenant of Flesh
The silence Kael left behind was a sacred space, vibrating with the echo of his raw confession. Lyra stood motionless in the center of the penthouse, the words "the only thing that has felt real" wrapping around her like a physical embrace. The frantic energy that had characterized so much of their relationship had evaporated, replaced by a profound, heavy stillness. The mission to The Gilded Cage was a specter in the room, but for this suspended moment, it felt distant, secondary to the tectonic shift that had just occurred between them.
She moved to the window, her body thrumming with a strange, new awareness. The city's lights seemed to pulse in time with her own heartbeat. She was no longer just a pawn, a weapon, or a prize. He had shown her a crack in his own armor, and in doing so, had made her his equal in vulnerability. The responsibility of that was terrifying.
