Aria's POV
I sat in my room, lost in thought, I heard the door open and assumed it was Elara bringing my dinner, but instead, Kael walked in.
As Kael walk into the room, I felt a sudden jolt of fear. My mind flashed back to the last time we met, to the feeling of the black mist around my neck, to the sensation of being suffocated by his powers. I remembered the way I had struggled and kicked, the way I had tried to break free from his grasp. And I remembered the way I had finally gone unconscious, the way everything had gone black.
The memories came flooding back, and for a moment, I was transported back to that moment. I felt the fear and the panic rising up inside me, and I had to fight to push it back down. I didn't want to show Kael any weakness, I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing me afraid.
I took a deep breath and steeled myself, trying to calm my racing heart and steady my shaking hands. I looked up at Kael, trying to meet his gaze with a steady eye. I didn't want to show him any fear, I didn't want to give him any power over me.
As I looked at him, I saw a faint look of discomfort on his face. He seemed to be shifting his weight from one foot to the other, his eyes darting around the room as if searching for an escape.
"Aria," he said finally, his voice low and rough. "I...I wanted to talk to you about what happened last time we met."
I raised an eyebrow, my heart still racing with fear. "What about it?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
Kael hesitated, his eyes dropping to the floor. "I...I didn't mean to take it that far," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't mean to hurt you."
I felt a surge of surprise at his words. I hadn't expected him to apologize, not after what he had done to me. And yet, as I looked at him, I saw a genuine look of remorse on his face. He seemed to be struggling to find the right words, to express himself in a way that didn't come naturally to him.
"I'm sorry," he said finally, his voice rough and awkward. "I was out of control, and I shouldn't have...I shouldn't have done what I did."
I watched him, surprised by the awkwardness that seemed to be emanating from him. He didn't seem like a man who was used to giving apologies, who was used to showing vulnerability. And yet, as I looked at him, I saw a glimmer of something else, something that looked almost like...regret.
I felt a pang of surprise at the thought. Regret? From Kael? It seemed impossible, and yet, as I looked at him, I couldn't shake the feeling that he was telling the truth. That he really was sorry for what he had done, and that he was struggling to come to terms with his own actions.
I didn't know what to make of it, or how to react. Part of me wanted to lash out at him, to tell him that his apology wasn't enough, that he could never make up for what he had done. But before I could make up my mind, Kael turned and walked away, leaving me standing alone in the room. I was taken aback by his sudden departure, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of confusion.
I stood there for a moment, trying to process what had just happened. Kael had apologized, actually apologized, for his actions. It was a shock, to say the least. I had never expected him to show any kind of remorse, and yet...and yet, he had.
As I stood there, trying to make sense of it all, I couldn't shake the feeling that I might have imagined the whole encounter. It had all seemed so surreal, so out of character for Kael. I mean, he was the one who had been holding me captive, who had been using his powers against me, who had promised to drain me of ever single drop of blood I had. And yet, in that moment, he had seemed...different.
I looked around the room, trying to ground myself in reality. But everything seemed just as it had before. The furniture, the decorations, the window with its bars...it was all just as I had left it.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing thoughts. Had I really just imagined the whole thing? Had Kael really apologized, or was it all just some kind of trick?
I didn't know what to think, or what to believe. All I knew was that I was left feeling confused, and more than a little unsettled.