"I don't like this," Aeliana finally said, her voice quiet but firm, breaking the heavy silence that had settled between us. Her words hung in the air, full of worry and something deeper, something that tugged at a part of me I wasn't used to feeling.
I looked at her, the candlelight casting soft shadows across her face, highlighting the concern in her eyes. It was a concern I wasn't sure how to deal with, not when it was directed at me.
"Nothing's going to happen to me," I said, trying to keep my voice steady, though I could feel the tension in my chest. I wasn't used to people worrying about me like this, and I didn't know how to handle it.
Aeliana shook her head, her expression softening but still serious. "You don't know that, Ciara. You can't promise me something like that."