"Iman... what the hell is going on here?" Layla's voice trembled, her phone clutched tight.
Iman opened her mouth, her chest tight with fear. "This house... it isn't like any place you've known. The walls shift, the shadows listen. And Dorian-" She faltered, her eyes darting towards the darkened corridor. "He's part of it. Bound to it."
Layla's brow frowned. "Bound? What does that even mean?"
Before Iman could answer, a voice slid through the air, smooth and deliberate.
"Quite the clash," it said.
Lucien stepped from the shadows, his smile faint but knowing. Without hesitation, he moved to Iman's side and slipped an arm around her shoulders in a sideways hug, casual and familiar. Iman stiffened, but a part of her couldn't help the warmth of his presence.
"Lucien," she whispered, her tone heavy with unease.
Lucien leaned close, his voice brushing her ear. "You should relax. I'm only here to watch." His eyes flicked to Layla, lingering with amusement.
Layla's eyes narrowed, her voice sharp. "Who are you... and why are you hugging her?"
Lucien straightened slightly, his smirk widening, but he didn't answer her question. Instead, his gaze slid past her, settling on the corridor where Dorian lingered in silence.
"You always arrive too late," Lucien said smoothly, his tone carrying a teasing edge. "And yet, you never miss the important parts."
Dorian stepped forward, his expression hard. "Enough, Lucien."
Lucien chuckled, releasing Iman at last, though his eyes never left Dorian. "Ah, there it is. That tone. Protective, but not for me." His glance flicked toward Layla, deliberate, heavy with implication.
Layla's grip on her phone tightened. "Protective? Of what?"
The air thickened, charged unspoken truths. Iman's heart raced - relieved that Lucien was here, his presence a strange comfort, yet worried for Layla as the tension between him and Dorian grew. A guilty thrill stirred in her chest as she watched Dorian's mask crack, even for a moment.
Lucien tilted his head, his smile lingering. "You can't ignore what's written in your eyes, Dorian. Not forever."
Dorian's jaw tightened, his gaze flicking to Layla with a softness he couldn't hide before hardening again. "Ignore him," he said, his voice low.
Layla's confusion deepened, her chest tightening as she looked between them. "No. I want answers."
Iman swallowed hard, torn between fear and fascination. Elara's warning echoed in her mind, but this time it wasn't just dread - it was the realization that Layla and Dorian are being pulled into something far larger than either of them could control.