章 29: Silent whispers

Esteria's heart thudded in her chest as she stared into El-Kharis's eyes, the intensity of his gaze pulling her in like a riptide. The room seemed to shrink, the space between them charged with a tension that made the air itself feel thick. She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks, the warmth of her recent shower doing little to combat the coolness radiating from him.

"You're back," she finally managed, her voice barely above a whisper.

El-Kharis tilted his head slightly, his enigmatic smile never wavering. "I never left, not really," he murmured, his voice a soft caress in the quiet of the room. He moved closer, his presence overwhelming, and Esteria felt the familiar, intoxicating pull that always accompanied his nearness.