The words Luca had spoken did not fade as easily as sound normally would; instead, they seemed to linger in the air between them, heavy and unmoving, as though even the gentle evening breeze hesitated to disturb their weight. The golden light of the setting sun continued to filter softly through the trees, casting long, wavering shadows across the ground, yet the warmth of that light felt strangely distant—almost irrelevant in the presence of what had just been said.
For a brief moment, Aurelia did not react at all.
She simply stood there, her violet eyes fixed on Luca, her expression still and unreadable, as though her mind had yet to fully grasp the meaning behind his words. There was no immediate anger, no visible hurt—only a pause, a silence that stretched just long enough to feel unnatural.
Then—
A sound broke through.
A laugh.
