The sun had already risen by the time Ravić brought me back to my cell. Its light spilling through the narrow slit of a window, harsh and unfeeling, slicing across the cold stone walls. I stayed carefully out of its reach, the instinct to avoid daylight still ingrained in me.
"I'll see you soon," Ravić murmured, his voice a low promise as he pressed a kiss to my temple.
"I love you," I whispered, just as he turned to leave.
He didn't need to say it back. The look in his eyes was enough. That raw, haunted look that said everything words couldn't.
The air was thick with the scent of rust and old blood. A cruel reminder that whatever warmth we've shared just hours ago, belonged to another world entirely. This was reality now. My reality.
The heavy clank of the bolt, locked into place echoed through the small chamber. Final.
