"We need to figure out how long that window lasts." Santiago said.
I frowned, intrigued. "Test it?"
"Maybe," he said sharply, but not unkindly. "But not yet. Not without knowing how it affected the Veil. Then we push boundaries."
I kept my eyes on him.
The gold in his irises caught the moonlight, and for a moment, I felt something reckless stir inside me. "Until then, we keep the same distance," I said softly.
He glanced at me, jaw tight. "We have to," he admitted. "Closer… and the Veil could feel it. Your presence… my touch… everything would set it off."
I wanted to argue, wanted to reach for him, but I didn't.
Instead, I let my gaze linger, letting the unspoken words flow between us.
The warmth, the desire, the trust, the love we couldn't voice aloud—it all passed silently, heavy and electric.
He noticed.
I swallowed, fighting the ache in my chest. "I know. "And I know we'll figure it out. Together."
That made him pause.
For the first time, his walls lowered just enough that I could see the man behind the guardian.
He nodded slowly, eyes scanning the trees again. "Together," he agreed, voice firm.
We continued in silence, each of us aware of the other's presence in ways deeper than sight or sound.
Thoughts brushed against thoughts—fears, longing, unspoken reassurances. It was dangerous, yes, but also… grounding.
After a while, I risked it. "In a few days we could go back then. We check the tunnel. See how deep we can go. How long we can stay. Safely."
He didn't answer at first. Then, a low rumble: "If we do, we have to move slow. Careful. No mistakes."
"Yes," I teased softly, letting a small smile show.
"Not a suggestion," he corrected, gold eyes glinting with a mix of humor and warning. "Your life, my responsibility. We push too fast… I fail, you die. Not an option."
I took a deep breath, letting the words sink in.
I could argue, but I didn't. Not now. Not here. I let the quiet settle over us again. It was still night.
The world was dark.
And for a moment, just a moment, we could breathe.
His hand hovered near mine once, like a shadow of what could be. I didn't move.
We let the silence speak, the connection stretch, the slow burn simmer.
"The Veil will notice soon enough," he murmured. "We can't hide forever. But while we can… we learn. We survive. And we wait for the right time."
I nodded. "And after that?"
He paused, eyes meeting mine, intense and unyielding. "After that… we take it back. All of it."
I let myself smile, small but real, letting the warmth of him fill the cold night.
And though we didn't touch, didn't speak more than necessary, we were closer than we had been in months.
The forest held its breath around us.
The Veil waited.
And somewhere deep inside, I knew we were ready.