Chapter 48 Aria

• His proposal hits me like a punch to the gut. Work for him again? The palace? The memories of the last rebel attack flood my mind like a hurricane, fragmented scenes of destruction and chaos blending with the promise of safety he’s trying to sell me now. But that safety, that false sense of tranquility he promises, does nothing to lift the suffocating weight of the reality I must face: he might be the father of my children.
• The contrast between his tempting offer and the chasm of complications it brings leaves me reeling, as if I’m being pushed toward an impossible decision. My thoughts are murky, jumbled, as I try to process every implication of accepting or refusing. Caelum is like a magnet, an irresistible gravitational force pulling me toward him, even when I know I must keep my distance. I take a step back, shifting my weight from one leg to the other, trying not to succumb to the tension growing between us.
• My heart races erratically, and my mind spins, desperately searching for a way out, a logical answer. But everything circles back to that night, five years ago. As hazy as the memory is—like a distant, distorted dream—my body still reacts to that moment. It echoes within me in ways I can’t control, and that terrifies me. I can’t allow myself to feel this again. I can’t fall into this trap of emotions, this dangerous whirlwind that is Caelum.