Kael blinked, breath ragged. Sweat clung to his skin. His throat was raw from screaming.
And she was there.
Princess Aeliria knelt beside his bed, a faint silver glow around her from the crystal lamp she'd clearly ignited. Her hands hovered over his shoulder, hesitant, like touching him might break something fragile. Her expression was calm… too calm. The kind only someone who had seen him like this before might wear.
Kael quickly turned away, wiping at his eyes and trying to force his breath under control.
Too late.
She had already seen.
He cleared his throat and forced a strained smile, the same way he might patch over a broken dam with cloth.
"You know, most girls wait until I'm dressed before sneaking into my room. Bit early for heartbreak, Princess."
Aeliria didn't laugh, but the corner of her lips curved slightly. She lowered her hands and sat beside him on the edge of the bed.
"I heard you scream," she said softly. "You were… crying."
Kael scoffed lightly, falling back onto the bed with one arm over his face.
"Dream me's a dramatic bastard. I wouldn't read too much into him."
But she didn't speak. Not right away. Instead, she looked down at her hands, and then said it — that question he never expected.
"Kael… why do you always laugh like everything's a joke?"
He didn't answer immediately. Silence stretched between them like a taut string.
Finally, she spoke again — quieter now.
"When we were kids… I used to watch you."
Kael raised an eyebrow. "Should I be flattered or terrified?"
She gave a small, genuine smile. "I don't know. You were… naughty. Careless. People around you always had something to say. You annoyed your tutors. You broke things. You laughed too loudly. But then…"
Her voice trailed off. He turned to look at her.
"When you were alone, you had this look. Your face just… emptied. Like someone had taken all the light out of you. It was like watching a boy stand in the middle of a dark room with no doors. Maybe I was just… curious. I was a kid too, you know. Full of questions."
Kael blinked, surprised. Then, after a pause, he sat up and grinned faintly, raking a hand through his hair.
"So basically, I was your favorite childhood mystery novel. I'm honored."
She shook her head, but her smile lingered.
"No. You were… the storm before the calm."
He tilted his head.
"That's not how the saying goes, Princess."
"Exactly."
They sat in silence again.
Outside, the storm rolled faintly in the distance — as if the heavens themselves remembered his nightmare.
Kael broke the silence, playful again:
"So… you gonna stay the night to make sure I don't cry again, or are you leaving before sunrise to protect your noble reputation?"
Aeliria rolled her eyes, standing with quiet grace.
"I'm leaving before your ego gets any larger."
And with that, she left — but just before she crossed the threshold, Kael's voice stopped her.
"Thank you."
She looked back, and for just a moment, she saw it again — that boy in the middle of the dark room.
But this time, he was smiling.