Lily's head pounded. A strange, heavy silence pressed against her ears as she struggled to open her eyes. The air smelled different here colder, older, carrying a sharp scent like rain before a storm.
When her eyes finally opened, she wasn't in her room.
She was lying on a massive canopy bed draped with sheer black curtains, in a chamber that looked like something pulled from a dark fairytale. The walls were stone, lit by flickering torches. Thick, luxurious rugs covered the floor, and a roaring fire crackled in an ancient hearth.
Panic gripped her chest.
She sat up too fast, dizzy and disoriented.
Where was she?
A figure sat in a grand chair by the fireplace. Long legs stretched out casually. Black hair spilled over his shoulders. And those crimson eyes burned in the dim light.
Azrael.
He was watching her like a predator.
"You're awake," he said, his voice low and dangerous, like velvet laced with poison.
Lily's breath caught in her throat. "Where am I? What is this place?"
"My home," he answered simply. "A realm between your world and mine."
"A realm—" she shook her head. "I want to go home."
A ghost of a smirk curved his lips. "I'm afraid it's not that simple anymore."
Lily's heart raced. She clutched the sheets around her like a shield. "You kidnapped me."
"I saved your life." He stood, every movement fluid and graceful as he crossed the room toward her. "The hunters would have spilled your blood in the streets."
"I never asked for your help."
Azrael reached the edge of the bed, his presence overwhelming. "And yet, you bear my mark." He lifted her wrist, the red mark still glowing faintly. "You belong to me now."
Lily yanked her hand back, fury and fear mixing in her chest. "I'm not yours. I didn't ask for this!"
His expression darkened. "Fate rarely asks for permission, little human."
A heavy silence fell between them, only broken by the crackling fire.
Finally, Lily swallowed hard and whispered, "What do you want from me?"
Azrael's crimson gaze softened, though it still held a dangerous glint. "I want what was promised to me. A bride. A queen."
Lily's stomach dropped. "You're insane."
"I am what the world made me," he said quietly. "And you will soon understand your place in it."
Before she could speak again, a new voice echoed from the shadows.
"My prince," a tall, pale man stepped into view, dressed in deep crimson robes. "The hunters grow bold. Another attack is imminent."
Azrael's jaw tightened. "Let them come."
He turned back to Lily. "Rest. Eat. You'll need your strength."
And without another word, he disappeared into the shadows, leaving Lily alone in the strange, haunted room.
For the first time, she realized how deep she was in.
And how impossible it might be to escape.
The heavy wooden door creaked shut behind Azrael, and the chamber plunged into a thick, unsettling silence. The fire crackled in the hearth, its glow throwing strange shadows across the stone walls.
Lily sat there for a moment, her mind spinning. Every instinct screamed for her to run, to fight, to do something anything.
She pushed herself off the bed, her legs shaky beneath her. The floor was cool against her bare feet. She hadn't even realized her shoes were gone.
A table near the bed held a silver tray with a covered plate and a glass of what looked like water. She eyed it warily, unsure if she dared touch anything in this place.
You need to stay sharp. Think, Lily. Think.
Moving to the door, she gripped the iron handle and tried it. To her surprise, it wasn't locked.
A rush of hope shot through her.
Without hesitating, she slipped into the dimly lit hallway beyond. The walls were lined with ancient-looking tapestries, their designs too faded to fully make out. The air was thick with the scent of old stone and burning wood.
She glanced left, then right. No one in sight.
Lily started moving, keeping her steps light and silent. The hallways twisted like a maze. Every time she turned a corner, it felt like the castle shifted around her. She could swear some passages hadn't been there before.
Then…..a voice.
Soft, almost mournful, carried through the corridor.
"…they never last long."
She froze.
Peering around a corner, Lily spotted two figures dressed in dark crimson robes speaking quietly.
"She won't survive the claiming. None of them do," one whispered.
"She carries his mark," the other replied. "This one's different. The bond's already forming."
Lily's stomach twisted.
They're talking about me.
Backing away carefully, she turned down another hall, desperate to find a way out.
At the end of the corridor, a tall stained glass window overlooked a courtyard bathed in moonlight. She hurried to it, heart pounding, and spotted a long stone path leading to a dark forest beyond the outer walls.
There's a way out…
Without a second thought, Lily pushed open the window and climbed out onto the narrow ledge. The cold air bit into her skin, but she didn't care. Every instinct screamed for freedom.
She lowered herself down onto the stone path, knees buckling slightly when she landed.
"Keep going, don't stop," she whispered to herself, sprinting toward the tree line.
But she hadn't made it five steps before a figure appeared before her as if summoned by the night itself.
Azrael.
His crimson eyes glowed like twin embers in the darkness.
"Did you truly think you could run from me?" he murmured, voice as soft and lethal as a dagger sliding between ribs.
Lily's breath came in ragged gasps. "Let me go."
Azrael stepped forward, closing the space between them in an instant. His hand shot out, grabbing her wrist the one with the mark.
A burning heat spread through her veins at his touch.
"You are mine," he whispered, leaning down so his lips nearly brushed her ear. "And soon… you'll stop wanting to leave."
Her skin tingled where he touched her. She hated the way her body reacted, hated the rush of warmth and dread that tangled together inside her chest.
"I'll never be yours," she spat.
Azrael smirked darkly. "Fate's a ruthless poet. It writes in blood and never in ink." Her eyes widened in confusion and then she understood what he meant and was going to fight him.
But before she could even move her finger, the world tilted. Darkness swallowed her whole again.