"I don't want to marry Kael!" Elira's voice rang through the quiet night. Her arms were crossed over her chest, chin lifted defiantly, though her eyes shone with disbelief.
"He's two years younger than me. Two! I prefer older men. Men with power, with presence." Belmondi was still standing at the gate, with a glass of scotch in his hand. He remained silent, his face a mask of calm authority.
"And I hate him," she added bitterly, throwing Kael a glare. "He's always acting like a nerd, not ruthless enough to my taste, and I already have someone else in mind, someone far better than Kael."
Kael stood to the side, his eyes rigid. He neither reacted nor responded. The group of men that surrounded Belmondi, his top lieutenants, watched the scene unfold with restrained surprise. None of them had expected this marriage plan from Belmondi. It was unbelievable that Belmondi gave his daughter to Kael as his wife.
Then Belmondi finally spoke, his voice as heavy as a storm. "You've made yourself clear. But I'll ask once more. Kael."
Kael's gaze rose slowly. Belmondi turned to him fully. "Would you do me the honour of marrying my daughter?" he asked, his tone firm and serious.
A thousand thoughts collided in Kael's mind. The disbelief in Elira's eyes. The contempt in the eyes of the other men.
The fact that Elira was desired and obsessed over by nearly every man in the clan. Yet, here Belmondi was, offering her hand to him.
Kael was many things. Loyal. Efficient. Invisible and powerful. But as far as they were all concerned, he was a mere foot soldier with decent reflexes. None of them knew the truth about the empire he had built in the shadows, the wealth he had amassed, the blood he had spilt and buried in silence.
Still, he couldn't understand why Belmondi would choose him.
"Yes," Kael said, voice level. "I'll marry her." Gasps stirred the air, and a few of the men exchanged tense looks.
"Then it's settled," Belmondi said, rising to his feet. "The engagement will be announced at the weekend gathering." Elira let out a harsh laugh. "You're not serious." Belmondi ignored her.
Kael felt her eyes burning into him, but he didn't flinch. With a sharp turn, Elira spun on her heel and stormed away, her heels clicking furiously against the stone.
Kael finally turned to Belmondi. "Why me?"
Belmondi paused, then looked back at him with something unreadable in his expression. "Because you're the only one I trust."
Kael stared. He didn't believe that. Not entirely. There was a catch. There had to be. Belmondi never did anything without a reason buried deep within his heart.
Without another word, the Don retreated toward the mansion, leaving Kael surrounded by murmuring men. Kael said nothing. He walked away, his mind already racing.
He waved the men goodnight, but as he walked away, they murmured as jealousy tore through their hearts like arrows.
They planned, over their dead bodies, will they allow Belmondi to give the clan's princess to some low-life weakling.
Rather than watch Kael marry Elira, they'd kill him and bury his corpse in the farthest forest where he wouldn't be found.
Kael walked to his dorm and opened the door to the small room Belmondi had given to him two years back.
He laid on his narrow bed and stared at the cracked ceiling above. A lot of things have taken him by surprise lately, but chiefest among them is the marriage.
He chuckled lightly, "Belmondi must be crazy," he said to himself. The air in his room was heavy with the scent of gun oil and sweat he had accumulated while running through the forest. His mind wouldn't stop spinning. He knew Belmondi's men wouldn't like this idea. They were going to kill him. He could feel it.
The other men had always ignored him, even when he proved his worth. But now? Now he was suddenly a threat. A contender. Someone Belmondi trusted. That made him dangerous in their eyes. The paranoia began to creep in.
He closed his eyes and saw the tower again. The strange being cloaked in smoke. The old man's warning—"Strange beings walk through the shadows at night."
The Hollow. The rumours about that cursed place were endless. Lost treasures. Whispering voices. Vanishing souls. And now the leopard, too. That strange beast with burning eyes and a body that shifted like mist. Kael sat up, pressing his palms to his eyes. There was something tying all of this together. If he got there first, before Belmondi's expedition, he could claim whatever power or treasure lay within.
He had the resources, including hidden accounts and offshore backdoors, as well as loyal mercenaries. He could loot the Hollow, vanish for a while, and return with leverage even Belmondi couldn't ignore. His body ached, not with exhaustion, but from the weight of what lay ahead for him. Finally, sleep took him.
---
The river was still. Moonlight glimmered on its surface like shattered glass.
Elira stood waist-deep in the water, humming softly, running her fingers through her wet hair. Her skin glowed, flawless and pale, beneath the moon. She looked peaceful... vulnerable. But Kael felt unease tightening in his gut.
He looked around, and the trees seemed to bend, leaning in to whisper secrets. And then he saw it. A massive figure crouched in the shadows just beyond the treeline. It moved like a liquid shadow, low to the ground, massive, furred. Its eyes glowed red, locked on Elira.
He tried to call out, but no sound left his lips. The creature took a step forward, its claws sinking into the earth. A growl rumbled, low and terrible. Elira was turning now, unaware.
The beast lunged forward, its claws outstretched as it aimed for Elira. Kael ran forward to try to save Elira. Then he jolted awake with a strangled gasp, drenched in sweat. The dorm was quiet, but the nightmare clung to him like it was real. What the hell was happening to him?