Moonlight spilled through the shattered window, silvering the dust between them.
Claire stood still, her pulse betraying her fear. "You could have killed me that night," she whispered. "Why didn't you?"
Sebastian's gaze lifted — eyes like frozen stars, unreadable.
"Because," he said softly, "I wanted to remember what mercy felt like."
He stepped closer; his shadow swallowed hers. The scent of rain and blood lingered between them.
"You're not supposed to be here," she said.
"Neither are you," he murmured, brushing a stray curl from her face without touching her skin.
"You belong to the light, Claire. I… was born from its absence."
Her heart trembled. "And yet you keep finding me."
His lips curved, a haunted smile. "Or perhaps you keep calling me."
The wind howled through the ruins, carrying the echo of something forbidden — something that could never end well, yet neither could resist.