Yuto still couldn't sleep.
No matter how exhausted her body felt, comfort refused to come. The unfamiliar bed, the foreign scent clinging to the sheets, the steady presence of another person beside her—all of it pressed down on her chest until each breath felt measured and deliberate.
Escape was impossible.
And knowing that made rest feel like a luxury she no longer deserved.
She shifted restlessly, the mattress barely making a sound beneath her careful movements. After a moment's hesitation, she slowly turned to face Kaelith.
In sleep, he looked… different.
The sharpness that ruled his waking hours had softened. His lashes rested against his cheeks, shadows casting faint lines beneath his eyes. His expression—usually carved from cruelty and command—was stripped bare, leaving behind something dangerously close to peace. His upper body was uncovered, the slow rise and fall of his chest steady and controlled, as though even sleep dared not claim him fully.
For a fleeting moment, he almost looked innocent.
Almost.
Her fingers twitched at her side before she forced them still, nails pressing into her palm.
If only you were kind, she thought bitterly.
If only you were gentle… this wouldn't feel like a nightmare.
"What is it?"
The voice came without warning.
Yuto gasped, her body jerking violently in shock. She lost her balance, tumbling off the bed with a dull, humiliating thud.
"Damn it...!"
Pain flared along her side as she sat up, rubbing the sore spot with trembling fingers. Heat rushed to her face, embarrassment burning hotter than the ache.
Kaelith sighed.
The sound was calm. Almost bored.
He rose from the bed with fluid grace, movements silent and precise. When he stopped in front of her, his shadow swallowed her whole, tall and imposing, his presence closing in like iron bars.
Her heart pounded.
Then—an idea sparked.
Desperate. Reckless.
Maybe if I act weak…
Grandmother always said men lower their guard when girls act soft.
Her eyes stung as she forced moisture into them, lowering her lashes. She let her shoulders tremble just slightly, carefully measured.
"It hurts," she whispered.
Her voice came out small, fragile. She dropped her gaze, allowing a single tear to slip down her cheek.
Kaelith didn't reach for her.
Instead, his eyes narrowed, sharp and calculating, stripping away the act with unsettling ease.
"I'm… hungry too," she added quickly, softer this time. "Could I go downstairs and make something to eat?"
Silence stretched between them.
Her breath grew shallow.
Then Kaelith crouched in front of her.
Slowly, deliberately, he lifted a finger beneath her chin, tilting her face upward until her eyes met his. His touch was light—gentle even—but utterly inescapable.
"Sweetheart," he murmured, his voice low and smooth, edged with danger, "if you're trying to play a role tonight, you should know something."
His thumb brushed the tear from her cheek, wiping it away with a tenderness that sent a chill down her spine.
"I don't mind games," he continued calmly. "But I do mind lies."
Her breath caught in her throat.
"You're not leaving this room," he said, standing smoothly to his full height. "Not tonight."
Whatever softness had lingered in his gaze vanished, replaced by something far more terrifying—awareness.
He stepped back just enough to give her space.
"Get up," he ordered. "Carefully."
Yuto swallowed hard, her plan unraveling before it had even begun.
Kaelith wasn't fooled by weakness.
And that made him far more dangerous than she had imagined.
"I can eat tomorrow," she said quietly as she rose to her feet.
The dress clung too tightly to her body, the fabric stiff and uncomfortable, hardly suitable for sleep. She glanced at Kaelith, debating whether to ask for something else—sleepwear, anything.
But his gaze had already grown impatient.
Just for today, she decided. I'll sleep like this.
She lay down stiffly, turning her back to him, every muscle locked tight. Moments later, the mattress shifted as Kaelith returned to the bed behind her.
Her heart refused to slow.
Minutes passed. Then more.
Sleep came late, dragging her under only after exhaustion finally won.
___
She was still in Kaelith's room.
And then—she wasn't.
Yuto found herself sitting on her bed back home, the familiar walls of her childhood room surrounding her. The air felt warm. Safe.
The door swung open.
"Grandma—!"
She leapt from the bed, rushing forward as her grandmother entered the room. Yuto wrapped her arms around her tightly, burying her face against the familiar shoulder.
"You're still alive," she sobbed. "Even if this is just a dream… I missed you so much."
A tear slipped free.
Her grandmother smiled gently, returning the embrace.
"It's okay, child."
The words broke something inside her.
"But everything is wrong," Yuto cried. "I'm living as a girl now. I'm trapped. I'm a captive"
"No," her grandmother interrupted softly.
She stepped back, holding Yuto at arm's length, wiping away her tears as she looked at her with calm certainty.
"No, you are not."
Yuto froze.
"Nothing is wrong," her grandmother said firmly. "And you are exactly where you are supposed to be."
The words echoed.
___
Yuto woke with a sharp inhale.
The room was dark. Silent.
And Kaelith was still beside her.