Her hand rose to her neck, trying to pull the chain off once again, but to no avail, as if it were no longer just a piece of metal… but a part of her.
Suddenly, the door of the castle opened, just as it had the last time.
But this time… she did not see that silent shadow she had mistaken for a monster.
Instead, she heard a voice. A deep, low, powerful voice… so close that she felt as though it were whispering directly into her ear:
"Come in… my wife."
Her entire body trembled, and she took a step back, her eyes widening in terror.
"I… I'm not going in!" she said quickly, clinging to whatever courage she had left.
But in the next moment, her feet moved against her will.
Her eyes widened even more, terror creeping into the depths of her as she felt her body being forced forward without her control… one step… then another… until she crossed the threshold.
The moment she entered, the door slammed shut behind her with a deafening bang.
She flinched and spun around, pounding on the door with her trembling palms.
"Open! Someone, open the door!"
But there was no answer.
No sound.
No movement.
Only suffocating silence.
Her strength gave out, leaving her body all at once, and she collapsed onto the cold floor of the castle, leaning against the closed door behind her as tears streamed down her face without stopping.
"I want to go home…" she murmured in a broken voice. "That woman will kill me this time… I don't want to be beaten…"
She hugged herself, as if trying to protect herself from something unseen, and continued crying, unaware of what was waiting for her.
But in a single moment… she was no longer alone.
Her sobs gradually stopped, and she felt a presence in front of her.
She slowly raised her head.
It was him, standing before her.
Or… no.
He had actually knelt down in front of her, close enough to disturb her breathing, his hand slowly reaching out… wiping away her tears.
She froze. She could not move away, nor could she even scream.
"You…" he said in a low voice, carrying a faint note of surprise. "You're not afraid of me."
She looked at him in confusion, tears still clinging to her cheeks, then said with simple, honest sincerity:
"My uncle's wife… will beat me… Let me go home now, please…"
He stopped for a moment, staring at her with a look she could not understand.
"She never gets tired of beating me…" she continued in a trembling voice. "Even when her hand hurts from hitting me so much… she does it again… as if she's taking revenge."
A brief silence fell, but it was heavy. His gaze did not change… yet it became deeper.
Strange.
Was that… pity? Or was he simply astonished by her naivety?
Any girl in her place… should have been thinking about escaping this place, this horror… not escaping from a woman in another world.
But she was not like that.
He extended his hand and took hers, helping her to her feet. She stood beside him, weak… short in comparison to him, so much so that she looked as though she might break if he came any closer.
She looked into the castle, her eyes slowly wandering around.
Darkness filled the place, thick and heavy… but a faint light seeped from the candles scattered along the walls, as if they were drawing a path… or leading her into a depth from which there was no return.
A heavy silence fell… frightening… suffocating.
Yet her eyes slowly moved, scanning the place around her, as if trying to cling to anything familiar, only to realize that she was standing inside a vast hall, its ceiling rising to a terrifying height, ancient chandeliers hanging from it, their faint lights dancing across the black marble floor, reflecting her pale image like a strange ghost that did not belong in this place.
For the first time, she dared to slowly raise her gaze toward him.
And the moment her eyes met his features, the blood in her veins froze.
His features were sharp… harsh. A prominent jaw, as though it had been carved with merciless precision, giving his face a sternness that would make anyone step back before coming closer. His skin was pale, unnaturally white, as though the sun had never touched him.
As for his hair… it was the color of charcoal, falling in calculated disarray over his forehead, long enough to give him an even more intimidating presence.
And his body was not merely tall… he possessed a quiet enormity, broad shoulders as though they had been carved from solid rock, and a wide chest that suggested a strength that did not belong to this fragile world she knew.
He wore a long black coat, free of ornamentation, yet its simplicity carried a striking elegance. Its fabric seemed to absorb the light rather than reflect it, falling behind him with an ominous dignity, while its high collar concealed part of his pale neck, and its silver buttons gleamed with a cold sharpness… like tiny eyes watching her in silence.
But none of that was anything… compared to his eyes.
They were not merely eyes, but… abysses.
A deep amber color, like burnt honey, with a dense darkness at their center that swallowed anyone daring to look into them, and a strange… demonic glow, suggesting that he could see beyond words… even what came before them.
One look from him made her feel completely exposed… naked before his overwhelming presence.
He embodied a dark beauty, a terrifying mixture of noble elegance and the danger of a predator… a presence that confused the mind:
Should she run from him… or bow before him?
"W… who are you?" Her voice came out weak, barely audible.
He smiled, a cold smile… devoid of reassurance.
"It seems my wife… doesn't know me."
She gasped and quickly shook her head.
"I'm not anyone's wife! Are you crazy?! Let me leave!"
He took one step closer, and the air around her seemed to choke.
"The marriage has been sealed…" he said calmly, but his voice was more terrifying than any scream. "The moment you put on the necklace."
She placed a hand over her neck, her eyes filling with tears.
"It wasn't my choice! I don't know anything!"
He slowly raised his hand… and his fingers touched the necklace.
In an instant, it glowed.
Lian screamed, feeling heat pierce through her body, as if something were being driven into her soul… being sealed inside her.
"Enough!" she cried as she tried to move away, but her body betrayed her and would not respond.
He leaned slightly toward her, his eyes gleaming with that terrifying mystery.
"Your name."
She blinked in confusion.
"What?"
"What is your name." He repeated it in a commanding tone.
"I… E… Ezel…"
A brief silence fell, as though he were tasting the name, testing it… before slowly whispering it:
"Ezel…"
Her heart trembled without her understanding why.
"From now on…" he continued in a low, deep voice, "you are mine."
Her eyes widened in terror.
"No! I'm not—"
But the castle shook violently.
His eyes immediately fixed on the door, and his expression changed. For the first time… something unfamiliar crept into his gaze.
Concern, perhaps!
"It seems they found their way to you faster than I expected…" he murmured quietly.
"Who?" she asked fearfully.
But he did not answer.
Instead, he looked sharply at her, then said a single word:
"Return."
She did not understand.
But she did not get the chance to ask.
The necklace suddenly glowed.
She screamed, feeling the same force pulling her away, the world fading around her… breaking… disappearing.