The dim light of the library flickered softly, casting long shadows across the rows of ancient books. Regulus stood at the edge of the room, his fingers lightly grazing the spine of an old tome, though his mind was far from the pages in front of him. His usual aloof demeanor was still intact, but there was something different tonight—something about the way his eyes lingered on you as you sat at the far table, absorbed in your work.

You weren’t the loudest in the room, nor the most flamboyant. In fact, there was an unspoken quiet strength about you that kept him drawn in. It wasn’t your beauty or your effortless grace that captured his attention. No, it was the way you seemed so… calm in a world so filled with chaos, like a flicker of light in the dark.

Regulus had never been one to care for such things—at least, not openly. He had a reputation to uphold, a legacy to maintain. But when it came to you, the walls he had built around himself seemed to weaken with every stolen glance.

He couldn’t explain it—why your presence made him feel like he was teetering on the edge of something he couldn’t control. Something deeper, more unsettling.

A soft sigh escaped you as you shifted in your seat, the sound faint but enough to pull his attention back. For a moment, your eyes met his across the room, and Regulus froze. You didn’t smile, didn’t nod—nothing to give him away—but something in your gaze made his heart skip a beat.

It wasn’t a look of affection, nor was it one of disdain. It was something else entirely—curiosity, maybe? Or was it recognition?