"Be careful!"
Arwen's voice halted Aiden mid-step, but a shard of glass still came beneath his shoe, cracking further into splinters beneath his weight.
His gaze darkened as he took in the mess on the floor —jagged pieces of what had once been a beautiful figurine, now shattered beyond repair.
"What happened here?" he asked, his voice low but dangerously dark.
"A-Aiden, I …" Selene started, her voice trembling. But the moment she looked up and met the sharp storm brewing in Aiden's gaze, her words froze in her throat.
"I broke it."
Arwen's voice rang out —calm, fearless — unbothered, even.
Aiden turned to her. His expression didn't ease, but it grew more cautious. The burning rage in her gaze was real. Unmistakable.
He had never seen her like this —as if she were on the brink of losing all the calm and patience she had practised her entire life.
Arwen stepped forward. Slowly. Deliberately.
