Chapter 06:Kitten

The castle loomed around me, ancient and unyielding, its stone walls whispering secrets I couldn't understand. The air was heavy, thick with the scent of rain and earth, as though the castle itself had been waiting for a storm. My fingers traced the cold stone of the window ledge as I stared into the abyss of the forest beyond.

I didn't know how I'd come to be here.

The last thing I remembered was... what? A blur of faces, the hum of distant voices, and then—this. This cold, unrelenting place where time seemed to stand still. My body felt heavy, as if weighed down by the strange air that surrounded me. Every inch of my skin prickled, and my heart raced as a cold sweat broke out on my forehead.

"What's happening?" I whispered under my breath, desperately searching for something familiar, something that could explain this nightmare.

"You look lost."

His voice came from behind me, smooth and controlled, like it had been rehearsed a thousand times. I turned slowly, my breath catching when I saw him standing there. Sylus. He was a shadow wrapped in sharp lines, his dark suit blending into the dimly lit corridor.

"You again," I murmured, my voice cracking. "Why are you always here? What is this place?"

He didn't answer right away, his lips curving into the faintest hint of a smile—one that didn't quite reach his eyes. He stepped closer, his boots echoing against the stone floor, making the silence feel heavier.

"Does it matter?" he asked, his tone so calm it unnerved me. "Real or not, this moment is ours."

I stepped back instinctively, my shoulder brushing against the frigid stone wall. The cold seeped into my bones, and I couldn't stop the shiver that ran through me. "It matters to me," I said, forcing strength into my voice, but my words felt fragile. "I don't even know who you are. Or why I'm here. None of this makes sense."

Sylus tilted his head, his dark eyes studying me like I was the riddle he couldn't solve. "Maybe you're not supposed to know yet."

My frustration bubbled over, my heart pounding in my chest as the weight of the unknown pressed in. "What does that even mean?" I demanded, my voice rising. "What do you want from me? And why do you keep calling me by that name?"

"Kitten," he said, as if testing the word again. His smirk deepened, a flicker of amusement crossing his face. "It suits you."

I shook my head, the weight of his presence pressing down on me, suffocating me. His proximity made my thoughts scatter, and I tried to steady my breathing, but my chest felt tight. "Stop it," I snapped. "Stop acting like this is normal. Stop acting like you know me."

He stepped closer again, closing the distance until I could feel the warmth of him against the chill of the castle. My skin burned from the proximity, yet I recoiled, my pulse quickening. I couldn't help but feel drawn to him despite the confusion and fear swirling within me.

"And what if I do know you?" he asked, his voice soft but laced with something that made my skin prickle. His words made my head spin, and the fog in my mind thickened. The confusion clawed at me, but beneath it, there was something else. Something that made me want to believe him.

The words left me stunned. "How?" I whispered, my voice barely audible, the fear of the unknown crashing against my chest.

Sylus didn't answer. Instead, he reached out, his fingers ghosting over mine before pulling back, as if he wasn't sure if he was allowed to touch me. "There are things you'll remember when the time is right, kitten. Until then, trust that you're exactly where you're meant to be."

I stared at him, my chest tightening with emotions I couldn't name. "And you? What are you supposed to be to me?"

This time, he didn't smile. His expression turned serious, a shadow crossing his face. "I'm the one who keeps you from falling apart."

I opened my mouth to demand more answers, but before I could speak, the distant sound of a door creaking echoed through the castle. The air shifted, colder, heavier, as if the place itself was watching us.

Sylus straightened, his gaze snapping to the darkness beyond the corridor. "They're here," he said, his voice low.

"Who?" I asked, my pulse racing as the uncertainty became unbearable.

He didn't reply. Instead, he reached for my hand, his grip firm yet gentle as he pulled me toward him. "You'll understand soon enough," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "But for now, you have to trust me, Rose. Even if everything else feels wrong—trust me."