At dawn, the mansion was wrapped in an unusual chill, as if the very morning held its breath—forewarning something yet to be revealed.Aisha came down for breakfast with Cristal, but something was off. Lionel wasn't there, and his absence hung in the air like a shadow with a pulse.
Cristal, ever pristine and glowing, sliced fresh fruit with rehearsed elegance. Her smile was calculated, almost too perfect—like every gesture was crafted to hide something unspeakable. Behind her façade, Aisha sensed something else: a smugness that only deepened her unease.
—Lionel left early, didn't he? —Aisha asked, trying to sound casual.
Cristal glanced up with a smile that never reached her eyes.—Always so protective of you... —she replied, her tone bordering on mockery.
Saying nothing more, Aisha returned to the lounge, seeking a moment of clarity.The silence there was oppressive—too still.She sat in a worn velvet chair, closed her eyes, and reached inward for the one connection that had always given her strength: her bond with Sanathiel.
Since he had chosen her as his partner, the link between them was a thread—fragile but unbreakable—connecting their souls across time and distance. She hadn't asked for it. At first, she'd rejected it. But now… it had become a part of her.
She focused. At first, she found nothing.Then—an image.A cold Nevri face. Distant, watching her.And just as quickly, it vanished, like a coded warning burned into her thoughts.
Her breath caught."Few beasts, but their strength is merciless," she thought, covering her mouth, trying to hold in the rising panic.
She tried again.
This time, warmth wrapped around her like a protective hand. A voice emerged, tender and hauntingly familiar.
—Aisha... are you safe?
Sanathiel.
Her heart stuttered at the sound of his voice. Always so controlled, yet layered with a care that burned too deep to fake.
—Sanathiel... —she whispered across their bond, clutching at the invisible thread as if it could keep her sane—Can you hear me?
The link pulsed stronger—warmer. His voice echoed again, clearer now.
—I'm here, Aisha. But danger is closing in. I can feel it. Rasen... he's near.
Just hearing his name made her tremble.Memories flooded in: his face, his hands, his love... the darkness drowning it all.
—Rasen... —she whispered, throat tightening with guilt.
—Stay where you are —Sanathiel's tone shifted, sharper—I'll find you. You won't be alone much longer.
His words calmed her like a balm against her burning skin. But her heart still raced—knowing she couldn't just wait.
—Sanathiel… —she reached again—Promise me. Promise you'll come.
—You don't have to ask, Aisha. I'm always with you.
And for a breathless moment, the bond became her shelter. A vow made of fire and silence.
When she opened her eyes, her chest trembled with a shaky exhale.The link faded… but her resolve remained.
Then her phone buzzed.
A black screen lit up—an encrypted message appearing like a whisper from the abyss:
"Remember the blue rose.It's my warning.Get out of that house.I'll protect you—like before.I'll be your shadow."—I.
Her blood ran cold.
Ibrahim.
He had always been near, but his intentions remained a dark enigma.
Before she could process the message, soft footsteps echoed behind her.
A shiver crept up her spine. Her fingers tightened around the phone.
—How does he know where I am? —she muttered.
Cristal entered the room. Calm face.But her eyes gleamed with something unspoken.
—Aisha, are you alright? —she asked, smiling faintly—You look pale.
Aisha nodded. But the message and Sanathiel's presence still echoed in her chest.
"Always yours."
Ibrahim never said anything without intent. Her stomach twisted.
Then she whispered, as if testing Cristal's reaction:
—I want to break the bond with your father... the White Wolf.
Cristal's smile never faded. But her eyes gleamed—brighter, sharper.
—I can make that happen. Just say the word.
Aisha's blood turned to ice.Cristal was hiding something. And her connection to Rasen wasn't her only secret.
Unable to keep pretending, Aisha retreated to the drawing room.The silence felt like a cage she couldn't escape. The weight of loneliness crushed her shoulders.
Far away, Sanathiel felt the pull of their bond. Her pain tugged at his soul.
"Aisha… hold on. I'm coming."His promise echoed through the bond, and Aisha felt it like a whisper caught in the wind."I will be your shadow," the voice said inside her.
But Aisha no longer knew if it was a vow—…or a sentence.
Her chest tightened.She couldn't tell whether those words brought comfort… or carved a deeper curse.
That night, Lionel returned to the mansion. Jacket draped over his shoulders, eyes dulled by exhaustion, he paused in front of the parlor door.Inside, Aisha sat curled up on the couch, knees hugged to her chest, a blanket clutched in her fists like armor against a world unraveling.
"I can't sleep," she said, not looking up.
Lionel stepped across the threshold and stood there, just breathing for a moment.
"Me neither," he admitted at last, his voice low and rough.
She glanced at him from the corner of her eye."Why are you here?"
He didn't answer immediately. Then—
"Because I don't want anyone else making your choices for you. Not even me.And if one day you decide to walk away from all this… I just want to know someone was in your corner. No questions. No claims."
The silence that followed was weighty—but not suffocating.It was shared. Grounded. Needed.
"Thank you, Lionel," Aisha whispered.
He nodded. Turned slowly to leave.But before stepping into the hallway, he paused.
"Aisha…" he said, voice barely above a breath, "if you ever run… don't run alone."
And then he vanished into the shadows.
Elsewhere in the world, Rasen lay tangled in sweat-drenched sheets, his body convulsing under the grip of a dream too real to be ignored.
A voice called to him—not Aisha's.It was colder. Older.
Sariel.
"You didn't save her.And next time…you won't save anyone."
Rasen jolted awake, gasping.Chains etched across his skin like memories that refused to fade.In the dim light, his reflection stared back—…but it wasn't his.
And in the corner of the room,his shadow moved…without him.