The dawn spilled golden through Raye's curtains, painting his dark hair in shades of molten chocolate as he leaned over me, a tray of coffee and pastries balanced in his hands. His smile was a quiet promise, soft as the linens tangled around my legs, and my heart stirred, a fragile bloom unfurling in the warmth of his gaze. "Good morning, my love," he murmured, his voice a velvet caress that wrapped around me like a vow. I reached for him, fingers brushing the stubble along his jaw, and felt the world steady beneath his touch.
"Today," he said, his eyes glinting with a secret, "I have a surprise for you. A journey, just us." His words were a spark, igniting a flutter in my chest. He handed me a dress—ivory silk that shimmered like a whispered dream, its fabric cool and weightless, like a bride's vow woven into thread. "Wear this," he said, and his voice held a reverence that made my pulse quicken. "It's perfect for where we're going."
"Where are we going?" I asked, my voice teasing, though my heart raced with unspoken hopes.
He only smiled, that maddening, beautiful smile that promised everything and revealed nothing. "Trust me, Mia. It's worth the wait."
As he left to prepare, I packed, my fingers trembling with anticipation. Then, as I reached for a scarf on the closet shelf, a small velvet box tumbled to the floor, its lid springing open. Inside, a golden ring gleamed, its sapphire heart winking like a star plucked from the heavens. My breath caught, sharp and sweet, as the world tilted around me. A ring. A promise. My mind spun, weaving a tapestry of dreams—Raye, kneeling before me, his eyes soft with devotion; the ring sliding onto my finger, binding us in a vow as eternal as the tides.
I clutched the box, my heart soaring. It all made sense now—his restraint, his insistence on waiting for marriage, his quiet reverence when he spoke of our future. He wasn't just a lover; he was a man who saw me as sacred, a partner to be cherished, not possessed. The thought wrapped around me like a warm tide, pulling me under with its sweetness. I imagined his hands, steady and warm, guiding me into a life where love was a sanctuary, not a cage. I saw us dancing under a sky ablaze with stars, my magic unbound, his laughter a melody woven into my soul. This trip, this secrecy—it was for us, for a moment that would redefine our forever.
I pressed the ring to my lips, its cool metal a kiss against my skin, and let the illusion bloom. In my mind's eye, I saw the proposal: Raye's voice, low and fervent, promising me a lifetime; the manor we were headed to, its ancient magic blessing our union; my gown of moonlight silk swaying as we danced, our hearts beating as one. My doubts, those nagging whispers that had haunted me—his late nights, his guarded moments—dissolved in the radiance of this truth. He loved me. He wanted me, not just for now, but for always. My chest ached with joy, so fierce it stole my breath, and I laughed, a soft, trembling sound, as I tucked the ring back into its hiding place. Let him surprise me. I would play along, my heart already his.
The drive was a quiet reverie, the world blurring into a canvas of emerald and shadow as the woods rose around us, their branches arching like sentinels guarding secrets older than time. Dusk fell, heavy with the scent of pine and earth, and then the manor appeared—a vision of marble and starlight, its spires piercing the twilight like the claws of some ancient beast. Its walls pulsed with an unseen heartbeat, as if the stone itself breathed with enchantments woven into its marrow. Moonlight spilled through towering stained-glass windows, painting the atrium in hues of sapphire and amethyst, a celestial wept onto the earth. The air was thick with jasmine and molten amber, a heady elixir that curled around my senses, teasing something wild in my blood.
I stepped inside, my sapphire pendant—Raye's gift, given just last week—cool against my skin, anchoring me against the tide of longing that threatened to sweep me under. My fingers grazed its facets, catching the light like a captured constellation. The manor seemed to hum, its corridors shifting, their walls adorned with tapestries that shimmered with scenes of dragons and women locked in an eternal dance—love or war, I could not tell. Something stirred low in my belly, restless, as if the manor itself whispered a secret it longed to share.
"Raye, this place…" I murmured, turning to him, but he was already striding ahead, his shoulders tense, his smile fleeting. "What is it? What's wrong?"
"Nothing," he said, too quickly, his hand brushing mine. "Just… stay close. It's almost time."
His words sent a thrill through me, though a shadow flickered in their wake. Almost time. For the proposal, surely. I clung to the thought, letting it guide me deeper into the manor, my heels whispering against the polished floor. The air grew warmer, heavier, as if the walls themselves exhaled desire. I closed my eyes, letting the dream weave tighter—Raye's hands, his vows, our future. My heart was a fragile bird, soaring on wings of hope, and I let it fly.
The sound of music drew me onward—a lilting melody of harp and flute, weaving through the air like a lover's sigh. The corridor opened into a grand ballroom, its ceiling a dome of crystal that mirrored the night sky. Tables draped in silver cloth bore bouquets of moonflowers, their petals glowing faintly, and chandeliers dripped with prisms that scattered light like shattered dreams. A reception, prepared as if for a wedding. My wedding. My lips parted in awe, tears pricking my eyes as I stepped forward, the silk of my dress whispering against my skin. Raye had done this—for me, for us. The room was a hymn to our love, every detail a verse in our shared song. For the first time in months, I felt whole, my doubts burned away by the radiance of this moment.
"Raye," I whispered, turning to find him, my voice thick with emotion. "This is… it's perfect. It's everything."
But he already stood across the room, speaking to his father, a man whose cold eyes sent a shiver through me. "Mia," Raye called, his voice oddly flat, "come here."
I crossed the floor, my heart a drumbeat, expecting his hand to find mine, his lips to curve into that smile I loved. But his father stepped forward, his gaze like frost. "Welcome," he said, though the word held no warmth. "The celebration is about to begin."
The guests—strangers, all of them—watched me with eyes that gleamed too brightly, their smiles sharp as blades. The air thickened, the music taking on a discordant edge, and I clutched Raye's arm. "What's happening?" I asked, my voice trembling. "Raye, tell me."
He didn't meet my eyes. "It's… it's what we planned, Mia."
"We?" My voice cracked, the word a shard in my throat. "This is for us, isn't it? This dress—The ring I found in the closet...?"
His silence was a blow, and then the sky roared.
The crystal dome shattered, shards glittering like falling stars as a shadow descended—a dragon, its scales dark green, its wings blotting out the moon. The earth trembled as it landed, flames licking the air, its eyes twin embers of gold that pinned me where I stood. My heart stopped, terror clawing at my chest as the beast was was engulfed by flames shifting into melting into that of a man—tall, sculpted like a god, his silver-white hair glinting, his golden eyes piercing my soul. The stranger from my dreams. Power rolled off him, primal and terrifying, a storm given flesh.
He strode forward, his presence a tide that drowned the room. The guests parted, their faces alight with reverence, and he stopped before Raye, extending a hand. Green energy flared between them, a pulse of magic that made my pendant burn against my skin. "The deal is complete," the stranger said, his voice a low growl that rumbled through my bones. "Now I claim my bride"
Raye turned to me, his face a cold mask, devoid of the warmth I'd clung to. "Goodbye, Mia."
The world tilted, my scream tearing free as Yuri's claws seized me, his grip iron and fire. "No!" I cried, twisting toward Raye, my voice raw with desperation. "Raye, please, don't do this! I love you! Tell me this isn't real!"
His eyes flickered, a shadow of pain crossing his face, but he turned away. "It's done," he said, his voice barely a whisper.
"You are mine, Hatcher," Yuri growled, his breath hot against my ear, his arm a vise around my waist. "Your blood sings to me, and I have waited long enough."
I thrashed, tears streaming down my face as he pulled me toward the shattered dome. "Raye!" I screamed, my voice breaking, my heart splintering into a thousand jagged pieces. "Why? Why are you doing this?"
He didn't answer, didn't look back, and as the man's wings unfurled, lifting us into the night, the manor fell away, a fading dream swallowed by the dark. My pendant burned, a cruel reminder of the love I'd thought was mine, and I sobbed, the wind stealing my cries as the truth carved itself into my soul: Raye had never been my sanctuary. He had been my betrayal.