The chamber's silence was suffocating. The weight of the dagger in Evelyne's grip felt heavier now, as if it carried the burden of a thousand doomed brides before her. Her fingers trembled against the cold metal, but she couldn't let go. Not yet.
Kael's emerald eyes searched hers, his grip firm on her shoulders. "Evelyne," he murmured, concern lacing his voice. "You disappeared for a moment. Your eyes... they were vacant. What did you see?"
She hesitated.
How could she tell him?
How could she say that the spirit of Eldoria's first bride had warned her that the only way to break the curse was to kill him?
Her throat tightened as she studied him. His expression was open, worried even. His touch, despite its urgency, was warm. He had been nothing but protective, guiding her through the dangers of Eldoria's shadows.
Could it be true?
Was he the reason the curse lived on?
Kael's hand cupped her cheek gently, bringing her back to the present. "Evelyne, talk to me."
She swallowed hard, forcing herself to focus. "I saw her," she whispered. "The first bride. She... she told me the dagger is the key."
His gaze flickered toward the blade, his jaw tightening. "That much we already suspected."
"She also said…" Evelyne's voice wavered. "She said the curse can only be broken if I kill the groom."
The words hung between them like a blade suspended mid-air.
Kael's entire body tensed. His fingers twitched slightly where they rested against her skin, and in his eyes—just for a flicker of a second—something unreadable flashed.
Then, he laughed.
A low, humorless chuckle that sent chills down her spine.
"Of course she did." He stepped back, running a hand through his dark hair. "They all say that."
Evelyne's breath caught. "What?"
Kael exhaled sharply, his expression hardening. "You think this is the first time a bride has been warned? Every single one of them was told the same thing." He turned his back to her, his voice bitter. "And do you know what happened?"
She shook her head.
"They tried." His voice was sharp as steel. "They all tried."
Evelyne's heart pounded against her ribs.
The spirits had told them all the same thing.
And yet, the curse remained.
She gripped the dagger tighter. "Then why are you still alive?"
Kael slowly turned back to her, his expression unreadable.
"Because I am not the one who must die."
A shiver ran down her spine.
The candlelight flickered around them, casting Kael's features into sharp relief. He looked like a man carrying the weight of a terrible truth, something far worse than any ghost story.
Evelyne took a step back. "Then who?"
Kael's gaze dropped to the dagger. His voice was quiet, almost resigned.
"The one who holds the blade."
Evelyne's breath hitched.
The bride.
The bride had to die.
A violent tremor passed through her fingers, and the dagger slipped slightly from her grip. The first bride's warning echoed in her mind. *Do not trust the moonlight, for even it carries secrets of its own.*
Was this the truth the spirits were hiding?
She had spent so much time fearing Kael, fearing that he might be the one bound to the curse's sinister will. But what if the real danger had always been herself?
"No." She shook her head, taking another step back. "That doesn't make sense. Why would the curse require the bride's death? It's the groom who is tied to this fate, isn't it?"
Kael's jaw clenched. "That's what they want you to believe."
She felt dizzy. The chamber suddenly felt smaller, the air thinner. She had been prepared for deception, but this—this was something else entirely.
"Then tell me," she whispered. "Tell me what really happened to the other brides."
Kael hesitated, his gaze distant.
Then, finally, he spoke.
"They all followed the whispers. They all believed the first bride's warning. And they all tried to kill me."
Evelyne held her breath.
"And?" she prompted.
Kael exhaled, rubbing his temples. "The moment they raised the dagger against me, the curse claimed them instead. Their bodies turned to ash, their souls bound to this place forever."
Evelyne's stomach twisted.
That meant…
"If you had killed me," Kael continued, "you would have died in my place."
The weight of the dagger suddenly felt unbearable. She almost dropped it.
Kael stepped closer, his voice softer now. "Evelyne, I don't know why the curse wants you to believe I'm the enemy. But I do know that every bride who has tried to end this… has only damned herself."
Evelyne's hands shook.
This was too much.
If Kael was telling the truth, then the spirits had been lying to her. They had manipulated her, made her think she had to kill him. But if they were lying… what did they really want?
And worse—what if Kael was the one lying?
She looked up at him, her heart pounding. "You're asking me to trust you."
"Yes." His gaze was steady, unwavering. "And I know that's not easy."
A lump formed in her throat.
This man, this mysterious groom, had been nothing but a stranger when she arrived in Eldoria. She still knew so little about him, about his past, about his true role in all of this.
But she had also seen his fear.
He wasn't just trying to survive. He was fighting for something.
For her?
For himself?
Or for something far more sinister?
She didn't know.
But she did know one thing.
If she made the wrong choice, it would cost her life.
A tense silence stretched between them. Kael watched her carefully, as though waiting for her to decide whether she would drive the dagger into his chest or let it fall to the ground.
She gritted her teeth. "If you want me to trust you, tell me everything. No more half-truths. No more secrets."
Kael hesitated, then nodded. "Agreed."
Evelyne took a shaky breath, trying to steady her nerves.
"Then start with this." She raised the dagger between them. "If I'm not meant to use this against you… then what is it really for?"
Kael's lips pressed into a thin line.
And then—finally—he spoke.
"It's for the one who cursed us."
The words sent ice through her veins.
"There's someone else?" she whispered.
Kael nodded. "The one who started all of this. The one who still lingers in the shadows, waiting."
Evelyne's blood ran cold.
For so long, she had believed the curse bound the groom and the bride in a cycle of death and suffering. But if Kael was right—if there was someone else pulling the strings—then everything she thought she knew was a lie.
The dagger was not meant for the groom.
It was meant for the true master of this curse.
And they were still out there.
Watching.
Waiting.
The realization sent a violent shudder through her body. The shadows in the chamber suddenly felt darker, the whispers in the air more menacing.
For the first time since arriving in Eldoria, Evelyne felt the distinct sensation of being hunted.
Kael's voice was quiet but firm.
"If we want to survive, Evelyne… we have to find them first."
Evelyne looked down at the dagger, its silver gleam almost hypnotic.
The first bride had warned her not to trust the moonlight.
But now, she had to decide.
Would she trust the man standing before her?
Or would she take the blade and carve her own fate?
One thing was certain.
The game had just begun.
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