As Salviana opened her eyes, the soft morning light spilled into the room, casting a gentle glow over the figure standing beside the bed.
Alaric was there, already dressed in his dark tunic and armor, his sword strapped to his side.
His black hair framed his sharp features, his dark eyes watching her with a softened intensity that made her heart skip.
She blinked sleepily, a dreamy smile tugging at her lips as she whispered, "Leaving already? You look… like someone out of a story."
Alaric raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Do I? I thought you preferred I stayed beside you a while longer."
"Oh, I do," she murmured, her gaze lingering on him. She reached out, grazing her fingertips along his sleeve, trailing over the fabric as though it were his skin. "It's unfair, you know. To wake and find you so ready to leave, looking like that." Her voice dropped, teasing yet yearning. "Sometimes I wish you'd linger… just a little longer."
