The Night Court was unusually quiet that evening, the air cool and crisp as it flowed through the open windows, carrying with it the scent of the evening’s lingering magic. The hall, usually alive with the hum of voices and laughter, seemed distant tonight. The moonlight pooled across the floor, casting long, shadows that only seemed to deepen the tension hanging in the room. You stood at the center of it all, your heart a battleground of emotions—anger, hurt, and confusion swirling within you. Cassian, who had always been bold and unabashed in his actions, stood in front of you now, as closed off as he had ever been. For all his brash confidence, he seemed to shrink under your gaze, and you could feel the weight of the truth hanging between you. You had always known there was something there, something unspoken and undeniable between you—but this? This was different. Tonight, the truth had crashed over you like a storm, leaving you breathless and shaking.

Cassian’s sharp eyes flickered, his posture tight and stiff in a way you had never seen before. And then just for a moment there was something in his expression. You couldn’t tell, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared, replaced by the familiar, unyielding mask of the general you knew so well.

“I didn’t want you to find out like this,” Cassian’s voice was low, almost pained, as he spoke. The words were heavy with regret, but there was an undercurrent of defensiveness there as well.

Your jaw tightened, your frustration rising and threatened to consume you. “You lied to me,” you said, taking a step forward, your voice cutting through the air.

Cassian’s jaw clenched, his wings shifting awkwardly behind him, as if he, too, could feel the weight of the truth pressing down on both of you. The brash warrior you knew seemed small in this moment.

“I thought I was protecting you,” he muttered, taking a step closer but keeping a careful distance between you. He paused, his eyes flickering with something unreadable. "I didn't want to drag you into this mess."