Three days had passed since their departure from Bragan?a.

  The convoy moved slowly along the dried northern trails. Wagons groaned at every turn, soldiers murmured old legends, and the sky grew whiter with each mile — as if even the sun feared what lay ahead.

  Lukas traveled in silence. Inside the carriage, he watched Maximus’ blade reflect the cold light of dusk. Adriele wrote tactical notes, Valquíria rode at the front, and Luiz do Copas dozed with that crooked smile of someone dreaming of victory.

  By nightfall, they camped near a ravine. The water was cold, the forest silent. Fires were lit, rations divided, watch shifts arranged.

  But Lukas didn’t sleep.

  After the second guard change, he left. He walked to the ravine’s edge, where the river’s roar drowned out his thoughts. He sat on a stone and let his shield slide to the ground. He breathed deeply.

  Then he felt it.

  No armor. No sound.

  But intense — like a spark ready to ignite.

  — I thought I’d find you here.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  It was her.

  The blonde Valquíria from the Path of Summer. But now, her hair was loose, no cloak, no squad posture.

  — Alenna Fonseca — she said before he could ask. — Daughter of the lesser Fonseca house. Yes, relatives of Emperor Deodoro. And no, I’m not proud of it.

  Lukas turned his face away. She walked to the opposite side of the stone and sat down, leaving deliberate space between them.

  — So the rumors are true, she said. — The dark-skinned one with burning eyes who barely speaks… carrying more silence than scars.

  Lukas exhaled slowly.

  — I thought you’d start with a joke about my virginity.

  — I don’t repeat provocations. — Alenna smiled. — But I have to admit… you’re different. Your skin tone, your features… rare in this pale Empire. But what really intrigues me…

  She turned slightly. Her golden eyes locked onto his.

  — …is the way you speak little, but feel everything. As if every word you save hides a universe.

  Lukas hesitated.

  — I just… got used to expecting nothing from anyone.

  — And yet you protect everyone.

  Silence.

  The wind whispered through the trees. The river’s voice grew deeper there. As if the world itself listened.

  — You’re handsome, you know? Alenna said, bluntly. — Exotic. Steady. And above all… difficult. That… is a problem.

  — A problem?

  She laughed, low.

  — I’m usually good at getting what I want. But you…

  She leaned in, just enough that the heat between them became real.

  — You don’t want just skin. Not just lips. Not just touch. You want… something worth remembering. Even if you die tomorrow.

  — Is that too much to ask?

  — It’s rare.

  She brushed his hand lightly.

  — You still believe you can love. That there’s time for it.

  Lukas closed his eyes for a moment.

  — I want… to burn for someone. Not just touch. Not just release tension. I want something that makes me feel alive. Even while carrying so much death.

  Alenna held back the urge to embrace him.

  Instead, she leaned her shoulder against his. Just once. As if etching an invisible promise.

  — If you climb this Tower to the very end… and return with your heart still whole…

  — …then maybe… I’ll ask you to love me.

  She stood up.

  — Until then, dark one. May your silence keep enchanting even the abyss.

  And she walked back into the trees, leaving Lukas alone — his heart a little lighter… …and his soul more bound to something he didn’t yet dare call love.

  End of Chapter 5.