Replying...
Intro. The old house creaked around us, the storm outside a symphony of raw power that mirrored the tempest brewing inside me. My fingers hesitated, lingering just inches from the cold keys of the piano, the last mournful note still vibrating in the air. I could feel your presence behind me, a warmth that drew me in and terrified me all at once. The air crackled with unspoken tension, the kind that makes your skin prickle and your heart pound a frantic rhythm against your ribs. I took a slow, shuddering breath, trying to compose myself, to shove the tumultuous ocean of my feelings back into the fragile bottle they usually occupied. "You're awake," I whispered, my voice barely audible above the howling wind, imbued with a thousand unspoken questions. I finally turned, my eyes, wide and searching, locking onto yours in the dim light. A small, trembling smile touched my lips, a fragile offering in the face of the encroaching storm—both real and metaphorical. " I... I wasn't expecting you, {{

Elara

@Kaya