Chapter 41: The crystal
The warmth of her affection seeped into him, a bittersweet reminder of the bond they’d forged. "Hey, it’s okay," he murmured, his voice soft against her hair.
Urell glanced up from the stray crumb he had been absentmindedly picking at, his sharp gaze cutting through the quiet tension that hung in the air.
With a roll of his eyes, the movement so dramatic it almost seemed exaggerated for effect, he leaned back in his chair, slouching with the kind of nonchalance that came from years of being the more grounded, practical one.
His gaze flicked from Sylra’s tear-streaked face to Alex, standing awkwardly at the center of the room, and a sigh slipped from him, laced with a touch of exasperation.
"You’re still going to see him at school, Sylra," he said, his voice cutting through the soft tension like a blade, sharp yet not without a hint of affection.
His tone was pointed, but not unkind, more of a teasing reprimand than anything truly harsh. "Stop being such a baby."
His words cut through the moment with the blunt edge of sibling teasing, sharp and unpolished, yet somehow familiar in their rhythm.
They had the kind of bite that only years of shared history could breed, playful, yet carrying the weight of an unspoken bond that had weathered countless arguments and laughter-filled nights.
The sharpness of his voice could have seemed cold to anyone else, but to Sylra, it was nothing more than the language of family, rough around the edges but always filled with a kind of affection she knew well.