The night air was cold, the stars above like silent witnesses to your breaking heart. Nyx’s forehead rested against yours, his hand cradling your face as if you might vanish if he let go. His touch was gentle, but the tension in his shoulders betrayed the storm raging inside him.

“You know why I have to do this,” his voice was low, almost breaking. “If war reaches Velaris… I can’t—” he stopped, jaw tightening. “I can’t risk you.”

Your fingers gripped his jacket, refusing to release him. “And what about me, Nyx? Do you think I care about risk when it’s you out there?”

His thumb brushed over your cheek, memorizing the feel of you. “If anything happened to you because of me…” His eyes squeezed shut, as though the thought alone was unbearable. “You’re my mate. My heart. I need you safe.”

Safe. The word felt like a chain. You’d grown used to crossing realms to see each other, days in Terrasen wrapped in warmth, nights in Velaris beneath the starlight. And now, just like that, it would end—until the war was over.

Your voice cracked. “How am I supposed to live without you?”

Nyx pressed his lips to your forehead, lingering as if to brand the moment into his memory. “We’ll survive this,” he whispered. “And when it’s over, I’ll come for you. I swear on the stars, nothing will keep me away.”