The air smelled of damp earth and iron. The night breeze tangled in my hair as I moved through the trees, my eyes locked on the darkness stretching beyond the forest. My mind still burned with Darían's final words, betrayal etched into every corner of my memory. Everything we had endured seemed to fade into a distant fog, replaced by one inescapable truth:
Zaira.
I used to think the past could be buried—or simply escaped. Left behind like a shadow lost in the whispers of time. I was wrong. Fate is never merciful.
Without warning, fate brought me back to her, and to her mother. A truth I had fought to ignore was now dragging me mercilessly forward. All that remained was one simple thing: to confront the raw reality.
My steps, now steady, no longer needed to rush. There was no point in running—not when the script had already been written. The crystal moon bathed the clearing in pale light, and there, in the center of the hidden garden, I found her.
"…Aisha…"
Time seemed to pause, allowing silence to cradle our goodbye. Aisha beside her mother, in the night's cold seeping into her bones… into her soul. Everything she had done, everything she had endured, had brought her here. And still, she didn't feel ready.
"…That's when I understood…"
Time seemed to pause, allowing silence to cradle our goodbye. Aisha knelt beside her mother, the night's cold seeping into her bones… into her soul. Everything she had done, everything she had endured, had brought her here. And still, she didn't feel ready.
""Maybe I just needed to adjust the last piece...to lean in my favor."
I reached out, my fingers trembled as I touched the strands of her thin, light-brown hair. At the same time, I saw Zaira's burned body, and my chest tightened with an unbearable weight.
She tried to speak, but her words died before they were born. All that remained was the wind's echo, the whisper of night, and the certainty that nothing would ever be the same.
Then Aisha whispered into my arms as the rain soaked us, as if the sky wept with her.
I could still hear her voice in the wind, feel her last gaze etched into my skin. My mother... my true origin. Her sacrifice won't be in vain. I can't afford to forget what brought me here—to this very moment,
"Sanathiel."
The world kept spinning, relentless, and though her wounds refused to heal, destiny pushed her forward. And then, like a wolf shielding its pack, he embraced her—with claws and fangs. The nearby servants stepped back.
They weren't alone.
"Sanathiel," Aisha said, locking eyes with those golden irises.
His presence was unmistakable. His blond hair shimmered in the moonlight, casting a glow in those golden eyes that never looked away from her. His face was serious, yet something in his gaze melted her defenses instantly.
"I'm not letting you go, Aisha—not now that I've finally found you," he said. His voice was deep and gentle, slicing through the walls she had built to protect herself.
Aisha instinctively stepped back in distrust. But deep within, something in his presence rooted her to the moment—silent, motionless.
"Why do you keep showing up, Sanathiel?" Her tone was firmer than she expected.
He stepped forward, calm, closing the space between them, his gaze unwavering.
"Because I can't ignore you. Not you, not what I feel for you."
A bitter laugh escaped her lips.
"And why should I care? I don't know what game you're playing, but I'm not joining in."
Sanathiel raised a hand but didn't touch her. His expression turned somber, and his voice was raw with sincerity.
"I won't lie to you. I won't lie to myself. These feelings caught me off guard just as much as they did you. Connection or not, there's something about you I can't shake... I don't want to lose you. Not now. Not ever."
Her walls trembled—but didn't fall. What if this was just another trap? What if his words were as sweet as they were dangerous?
Yet there was truth in his voice, in the way he looked at her—as if she were the only thing that mattered.
Unconsciously, her fingers laced with his. A shiver traveled up her spine. For a heartbeat, time stopped.
"Come with me, Aisha. I swear, you'll be safe. No one will harm you. Not the Community, not my family... not Darían."
She looked at him, heart teetering between fear and hope. Finally, she inhaled deeply and nodded.
"I can believe you."
A faint smile graced Sanathiel's lips, but the intensity in his gaze remained like a silent vow.
"Then let me show you... where you truly belong."
The guards opened the doors to the luxurious car. She stared at him, incredulous. He extended his hand, murmuring:
"It's time for the curtain to rise."
Her doubts scattered as she took the hand of the White Wolf—her enemy—and stepped inside.
The Crystal Hall
The castle towered above the hill, its spires bathed in moonlight. Inside, the grand ballroom glittered like a sea of crystal, illuminated by chandeliers casting rainbow glimmers across the walls.
The night's grandeur was overshadowed when the sleek car arrived and the couple stepped out—hand in hand.
As Sanathiel and Aisha entered, conversation ceased. The elite of the Community of Thirteen turned to them, eyes sharp with judgment and curiosity. Sanathiel walked with pride, holding her hand as if to proclaim she was his.
Everything sparkled too much. As if the castle was hiding horrors behind every shimmer.
Still, Aisha kept her head high, hiding her unease. The stares, the whispers—they were inevitable. But something about Sanathiel's presence gave her an unexpected sense of calm.
An older man, elegant and sharp-eyed, approached with a calculated smile. His presence alone commanded silence.
"Welcome, Sanathiel Rodrigo Golmish of Ruanda." His voice echoed ceremoniously. At his cue, glasses were raised in a silent toast.
Aisha felt every gaze land on her. The air was thick with expectation, each guest dissecting her every move.
Then, the host raised his voice again, unable to hide his satisfaction.
"Tonight, we celebrate the engagement of Lord Sanathiel and Lady Aisha. A toast to the future of this union!"
The silence dropped like a guillotine. Conversations stopped dead. All eyes fixed on her.
She couldn't breathe. The floor seemed to quake beneath her feet.
Engagement? The word echoed violently in her mind—clashing with the freedom she had fought so hard to reclaim.
She blinked, stunned. Her mind struggled to process what she had heard.
"Engagement?" Her voice was barely a whisper, but loud enough for Sanathiel to hear.
He looked at her with a mysterious smile, leaning slightly closer.
"You're my fated partner, Aisha. In the eyes of the Community, this union will protect us both."
A shiver ran down her spine. It wasn't just the chill in his voice—but the conviction behind it.
Around them, murmurs resumed—this time louder. Among the guests, the heir of the Björn House raised his glass, his distaste barely masked.
Aisha felt a crushing weight settle on her shoulders—an invisible yoke. If she accepted this union, she might never escape the game. But if she rejected it... what then?
She took a deep breath, steeling her expression. She wouldn't let them see her break.
Later, on the Terrace...
The cold air helped her steady herself. Below, the city lights flickered like fallen stars, but Aisha barely saw them. Her mind was trapped—replaying Sanathiel's words, the Community's pressure, the cost of it all.
She hadn't heard his steps, but felt his presence. Sanathiel stood beside her, tall and calm—a stark contrast to the storm inside her.
"I know this is overwhelming," he said gently. "But trust me, Aisha. You don't have to face it alone."
She turned to him slowly, searching his eyes for answers.
"Why are you doing this, Sanathiel? Why risk everything for me?"
He was silent for a moment before answering, his gaze soft with unexpected tenderness.
"Because in a world full of shadows and betrayal... you're the only light I want to follow with what's left of me."
Her heart raced. But doubt still clung to her chest like frost. She turned away, her eyes drifting toward the distant city.
"I hope you know what you're doing. The cost of this might be more than you realize."
Sanathiel reached out and took her hand with steady resolve.
"I'm willing to pay it, Aisha. Whatever it takes."
She swallowed hard, knowing that in that moment, her destiny had shifted. She didn't know if what he promised was real—or a fragile illusion soon to shatter.
But something inside whispered she would never truly escape him.
She felt the weight of his words—of a vow she wasn't sure she wanted to accept. Yet, in the deepest corner of her heart, a spark of hope flickered, small but alive.
Sanathiel said nothing more, simply held her hand in silence, allowing her to choose. In the distance, the castle lights shimmered like stars trapped in crystal—silent witnesses to a bond forged between shadows and uncertain fates.