Elara and I went on another mission. This time, we had to retrieve an amulet, which we did easily. So far, our missions have been successful. We walked silently through the forest, the amulet tucked safely in my pouch, but my mind wasn’t on the mission anymore. It was on Elara. She moved with quiet confidence beside me, her auburn hair catching the occasional glint of moonlight, and I found myself stealing glances at her more often than I cared to admit. I didn’t know when it happened; this shift was inside me. Maybe it was how she didn’t flinch under pressure or how she handled that hex like she’d been doing it for years. Or perhaps it was something deeper—something in how she looked at me with those clear blue eyes, not afraid, not distant, just… seeing me. I cursed under my breath,