The corridor had grown crowded, yet the tension inside it felt sharper than a drawn blade.
Aliena stood between Sebastian and the stranger who had just revealed his name as Rael, her mind racing as she tried to understand what was happening. Only moments ago she had been in her room talking quietly with Sebastian, and now half the palace seemed on the verge of chaos.
Her gaze moved from Rael to Sebastian.
Then back again.
Finally she spoke.
"Alright," she said slowly, her voice firm despite the confusion swirling in her chest. "Someone needs to explain what is going on."
Rael's golden eyes shifted toward her.
And suddenly he smiled.
Not the mocking smile he had been wearing earlier, but something lighter. Amused.
"Oh," he said casually, brushing invisible dust from his sleeve. "It's nothing dramatic."
Aliena blinked.
Nothing dramatic?
She gestured vaguely at the hallway.
"You appeared on the ceiling like some kind of demon and Sebastian called you his brother."
