"Come here, Xion."
Xion... The word rang in his ears with a strange familiarity. Darius had said his name many times before. But now despite being the same words, it felt different.
That same velvety baritone with silent command.
And yet... it felt brighter now. Warmer. As though it had been dipped in sunlight rather than shadow. As though each syllable had been wrapped in something fonder. Something tender.
Xion looked up slowly, meeting the Archduke's gaze.
There it was again, that smile.
It was wide, bright, and beautiful in a way that was almost unfair to Xion's heart. A smile that reached all the way to those pale green eyes, softening them until they shimmered like precious jewels.
It knocked the wind right out of him.
And it deepened — Darius's smile deepened — just because Xion took a single step toward him.
As if that small movement alone was enough to make the Archduke happy.
For a moment, Xion didn't know what to do with that thought.
