Chapter 31 Unraveling Boundaries

• Lucian’s words lingered in Celeste’s mind long after she left the training grounds. There was something about the way he looked at her—intense, unwavering, as if he saw something she hadn’t yet discovered in herself. It unsettled her, and yet, deep down, it intrigued her.
• She sat by the riverbank, her fingers trailing over the water’s surface, watching the ripples distort her reflection. Why did he look at me like that? She had spent so long building walls around herself, determined not to let anyone in. And yet, Lucian’s presence threatened to crack through them with nothing more than a glance.
• Footsteps approached from behind, slow, and deliberate. She didn’t have to turn to know who it was.