A Whisper in the Dark
The castle was silent.
Too silent.
Lena lay awake in her chambers, staring at the ceiling. She hadn't been able to sleep since the conversation with Lucian. His past haunted her thoughts, creeping into her mind like a shadow she couldn't shake.
She told herself she shouldn't care. That Lucian was still dangerous, still a monster, no matter how tragic his origins were.
But something deep inside her disagreed.
A sudden chill swept through the room.
Lena frowned, sitting up.
The air had changed.
The torches along the walls flickered violently, their flames struggling against an unseen force.
And then—
The shadows moved.
Lena's breath caught as a dark figure emerged from the farthest corner of her room. The form was vague, shifting as though it wasn't entirely solid.
It was watching her.
Her pulse quickened.
"Lena…"
The voice was barely above a whisper, but it crawled over her skin like ice.
She knew that voice.
Lucian.
But it wasn't coming from the door.
It was coming from the shadow itself.
Lena's body tensed. "Lucian?"
The figure tilted its head. Its golden eyes—so familiar, yet wrong—gleamed in the darkness.
Then, without warning, the shadow lunged.
---
A Nightmare That Feels Too Real
Lena barely had time to react.
Cold hands grabbed her wrist, pulling her into the darkness. It was as if the very room had swallowed her whole.
She gasped, struggling, but the shadows coiled around her like living things, wrapping around her arms and legs.
Panic surged through her.
She knew Lucian's power.
But this?
This was different.
The voice whispered again, but this time, it was right in her ear.
"You can't run from me."
Lena's breath hitched.
The hold on her tightened, shadows pressing against her skin like icy fingers.
This wasn't Lucian.
At least—not the Lucian she had come to know.
This was something else.
Something darker.
A sharp pain flared in her chest as the shadows curled around her throat, cutting off her breath.
Lena struggled, gasping. "Lucian—stop!"
The golden eyes flickered.
For a brief moment, the shadows hesitated.
And then—
They released her.
Lena collapsed to the floor, gasping for air. The moment her hands touched the cold stone, the darkness that had wrapped around her vanished.
The room was normal again.
The torches burned steadily. The eerie chill was gone.
And Lucian…
He stood at the edge of her bed, staring at her with wide, stunned eyes.
Lena's body shook as she pushed herself up.
"What the hell was that?" she breathed.
Lucian didn't answer right away.
His hands clenched into fists at his sides. His jaw was tense.
Then, finally—he exhaled sharply.
"That… wasn't supposed to happen."
---
A Darkness Even He Can't Control
Lena's heart pounded. "What does that mean?"
Lucian ran a hand through his hair, frustration flashing across his face. "It means something is wrong."
Lena swallowed hard. "That's not a real answer, Lucian."
His golden eyes flicked toward her.
And for the first time—Lena saw something in them she had never seen before.
Uncertainty.
Lucian was never unsure. Never hesitated.
But now…
Now, he looked as if he wasn't entirely sure of himself.
Lena pushed herself up, stepping toward him. "You lost control, didn't you?"
Lucian's jaw tightened. "I don't lose control."
Lena arched a brow. "Then what do you call that?"
Lucian didn't respond.
Instead, he turned away, running a hand along his wrist as though something burned there.
Lena's breath caught.
The mark—the bond between them—was glowing.
She had never seen it do that before.
Lucian exhaled sharply, closing his eyes for a brief moment before turning back to her.
"You should stay away from me," he muttered.
Lena stiffened. "What?"
His golden eyes darkened. "I said—stay away."
Lena's chest tightened.
She wanted to argue.
Wanted to tell him he was being ridiculous.
But she had felt it.
That darkness.
That terrifying, consuming void that had reached for her.
And the worst part?
For a moment—just a moment—she had almost let it take her.
---
The Truth in the Silence
Lucian turned toward the door. "This won't happen again."
Lena frowned. "You don't sound convinced."
Lucian smirked, but there was no real humor in it.
"That's because I'm not."
Lena took a slow breath. "Lucian—"
But before she could finish—
He was gone.
Vani
shed into the night like the shadow he had become.
Lena stared at the empty doorway, her heart still racing.
She knew one thing for certain.
Whatever was happening to Lucian—it was only the beginning.