Chapter 33 Caelum

• I watch every movement of the woman with the precision of a predator on high alert, each step echoing in my ears like a warning of imminent danger. Her eyes sweep the surroundings with a mix of desperation and fear, but it is her heart that truly reveals her fragility. I hear with clarity the irregular beats of her heart, quickened and erratic, like a war drum about to burst. Her hands, gripping the knife against Aria’s neck, tremble, barely able to maintain control over the sharp blade. Sweat drips down the woman's forehead, and I can smell the acidic scent of her fear mingling with the damp air of the forest.
• My mind boils with silent curses as I notice the presence of my soldiers surrounding the cabin. They are following orders, doing exactly what was instructed: protecting me at all costs. But now, in this delicate situation, their presence only increases the tension. The woman’s irrational fear grows with each soldier hidden among the trees, and Aria’s life depends on the fragile balance between maintaining control or unleashing irreversible chaos.
• "Let her go, now!" My voice echoes firmly and imposing through the surroundings. I try to stay calm, but the sound of my own voice betrays the desperation I’m trying to suppress. I watch with almost obsessive attention the movements of the woman as she drags Aria toward the car.