Foreign Faces

Arabella tossed and turned on the soft mattress, her dreams restless. Her thoughts were consumed by the strange events of the day—this mysterious castle, Damian's cold demeanor, Aamon's unsettling charm, and the heavy silence that hung over everything. But most of all, she worried about her grandmother. Was she safe? Was she looking for her? Or had Arabella somehow disappeared from her world entirely?When she finally succumbed to exhaustion, it was a fitful sleep. The strange fog, the shadows of the forest, and Damian's piercing golden eyes haunted her dreams.The sound of faint rustling woke Arabella. She sat up, her heart racing, but the room was empty, save for the crackling fireplace casting long shadows on the walls. Taking a deep breath, she shook off her anxiety and rubbed her eyes.As her thoughts settled, one realization struck her immediately—why was it still dark? She glanced at the ornate clock on the wall. Morning should have arrived hours ago.Confused, Arabella climbed out of bed and padded to the large window. She pulled back the heavy velvet curtain, revealing the same twilight sky she'd seen when she first arrived. It wasn't night, but it wasn't day either. The horizon was shrouded in thick, gray clouds, as though the sun struggled to reach the earth."What...?" she whispered, her voice trailing off.The world outside was silent, but the stillness felt unnatural. Her eyes wandered over the castle grounds, drawn to a figure moving across the manicured lawn below. It was a woman, her pale dress fluttering lightly in the breeze. Walking beside her was Aamon, his confident gait unmistakable even from a distance.Arabella frowned, leaning closer to the glass. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but the way Aamon carried himself was casual, almost playful. He reached out to the woman, brushing something off her shoulder before flashing her a smirk."His girlfriend?" Arabella murmured to herself, tilting her head as she studied the woman. She was tall and elegant, her long black hair cascading down her back. There was something ethereal about her, something that made Arabella uneasy.The pair stopped near a stone bench, but before Arabella could think further, another figure entered the scene. Damian.Even from her window, Arabella could see his furrowed brows and tense posture. He approached the two with long, purposeful strides, his expression stern. He said something to Aamon, his voice low but sharp. Aamon responded with a casual shrug, as if dismissing whatever Damian was saying. The woman stood silently between them, her face unreadable.Arabella watched the exchange, her curiosity growing. Damian seemed annoyed, almost angry, though she couldn't imagine why. After another tense moment, he turned on his heel and stalked off, his coat billowing behind him. Aamon followed soon after, leaving the woman alone by the bench.Arabella's gaze remained fixed on the woman. She seemed unbothered by the interaction, instead turning her head slowly, as if sensing something. Then, to Arabella's shock, the woman's eyes locked directly onto hers.Arabella froze, her breath catching in her throat. The distance between them was far, yet the woman's gaze was piercing, almost as if she knew Arabella had been watching the entire time. Her lips curved into the faintest of smiles, one that sent a shiver down Arabella's spine.She quickly stepped back from the window, her heart racing.A knock on the door startled her further. Arabella hesitated before calling out, "Who is it?""It's Damian," came the cold reply.Her stomach twisted. Straightening her posture, she crossed the room and opened the door. Damian stood in the hallway, his expression as stoic as ever."Good. You're awake," he said, his tone clipped. "Come with me."Arabella blinked. "Why? Where are we going?""Questions later," Damian said, his patience clearly wearing thin. "Just follow me."Annoyed by his commanding tone but lacking the energy to argue, Arabella grabbed her cardigan and stepped into the hallway. She trailed behind Damian as he led her down the grand staircase and through a series of winding corridors. The castle felt like a maze, with every turn revealing another lavish hall or towering door.Finally, they entered a spacious sitting room. Aamon lounged on a chaise near the fireplace, a glass of wine in his hand. He grinned when he saw Arabella."Good morning, Arabella," he drawled, though his golden eyes held a teasing glint. "Or should I say, good eternal twilight?""Stop," Damian said sharply, cutting Aamon off.Arabella frowned. "What does that mean? Eternal twilight?"Damian's jaw tightened, but Aamon answered before he could. "It means exactly what it sounds like, milady. This place hasn't seen true sunlight in centuries.""Centuries?" Arabella's voice rose in disbelief. "That's impossible."Aamon chuckled, taking a sip of his wine. "Oh, you'd be surprised how many impossible things are very real.""Enough, Aamon," Damian snapped, his glare silencing his brother. He turned to Arabella, his expression unreadable. "There are things you don't understand about this place. For now, you just need to focus on keeping yourself safe.""Safe from what?" Arabella demanded. "You keep saying this place is dangerous, but you won't tell me why!"Damian's gaze hardened. "Because knowing the truth will only make you more of a target. And right now, you're already drawing enough attention."Arabella crossed her arms. "What's that supposed to mean?"Before Damian could answer, a new voice cut in from the doorway. "It means you're an anomaly."Arabella turned to see the woman she'd seen earlier standing in the doorway. Up close, she was even more striking, her features sharp and regal. Her dark eyes swept over Arabella with thinly veiled curiosity."Selene," Damian said, his tone warning.The woman—Selene—ignored him, stepping further into the room. "You don't belong here," she said bluntly, her gaze locked on Arabella. "And yet, here you are. I wonder... why is that?"Arabella's unease grew. "I don't know," she said honestly. "I don't even know where 'here' is."Selene tilted her head, her lips curving into a faint smile. "Then you're either very lucky or very unfortunate. Time will tell which.""That's enough," Damian said, stepping between Selene and Arabella. "Leave her alone."Selene raised an eyebrow but didn't argue. "I only came to satisfy my curiosity," she said smoothly. Her eyes flicked to Aamon, who raised his glass in a silent toast. "I'll leave you to it."As she left the room, Arabella couldn't help but feel that Selene's curiosity was far from satisfied.When the room fell silent again, Arabella turned to Damian. "Who is she?""She's no one you need to worry about," Damian said curtly."Really?" Arabella shot back. "Because she just told me I don't belong here, which, by the way, is something you keep implying but refuse to explain."Aamon chuckled from his seat. "She's got a point, brother. Maybe it's time to stop being so cryptic."Damian shot him a glare but didn't respond. Instead, he turned to Arabella, his expression as cold as ever. "All you need to know is that this place is not what it seems. The people here, myself included, are not what they seem. If you want to survive, you'll listen to me and stay out of trouble."Arabella stared at him, frustration bubbling in her chest. "You're asking me to trust you when you won't even tell me the truth. How do I know I'm not in more danger because of you?"For a moment, something flickered in Damian's eyes—an emotion she couldn't quite place. But it was gone as quickly as it appeared, replaced by his usual stoic mask."Because if I wanted to hurt you," he said quietly, "I would have done it already."His words sent a chill through her, but before she could respond, Damian turned and left the room, leaving her alone with Aamon."Well," Aamon said, breaking the tense silence. "That went well, didn't it?"Arabella shot him a glare. "You're not helping."He grinned, clearly unfazed. "Oh, I'm sure I'll grow on you eventually, milady."Arabella rolled her eyes, her mind spinning with questions she wasn't sure she wanted the answers to.