Chapter 27: A place just for us
The night was unusually gentle. After everything — the fights, the blood, the truth — there was finally a moment of stillness. It felt foreign, almost stolen. But Cain didn't waste it.
He had watched Selene all day. In between the chaos, her fierce presence had anchored him like it always did. Now, with the others tending to their mother and preparing for the next wave, Cain slipped his hand into hers.
"Come with me," he whispered.
Selene didn't ask where. She didn't need to.
They climbed to the highest part of the cathedral. The roof was old, cracked, but it held them. From up here, the city looked like a painting — broken, burning in places, but still breathtaking.
Cain took off his cloak and laid it down. Selene sat first, legs tucked under her, wind brushing her hair back like fingers. Cain watched her.
"You okay?" she asked, softly.
He exhaled. "I am now."
She looked at him. "You mean it?"
Cain didn't speak at first. He just leaned in, forehead touching hers, their eyes closed as if they could feel each other better that way.
"I've never meant anything more," he said. "You make the war fade. You make everything feel... quiet."