As the doors closed behind her, Selene leaned toward Lucien, her voice low and possessive.
"You should be careful with pets like that," she said. "They get ideas."
Lucien lifted his cup to his seductive lips unfazed . "And some guests forget they are only visitors" he answered with a smirk on his devilishly handsome face.
Selene's smile faltered.
For the first time since entering the castle, the tension at the table sharpened not because of a servant's mistake…
but because jealousy had found its target.
The guards led Aria through winding corridors far beneath the castle, the air growing colder and heavier with every step.
The faint red glow of torches gave little comfort, and shadows stretched unnaturally across the stone walls.
When they stopped, she found herself before a solid, iron-bound door. The guards opened it without a word and shoved her inside.
The room was smaller than she had expected—bare stone walls, a damp floor, and a single red crystal set high in the wall, casting a dim, eerie glow. The smell of old stone and iron filled the air.
"You know the rules," the guard said before slamming the door shut. "Do not try to escape.
Aria swallowed hard. The echo of the door closing sounded like a final sentence. She sank to her knees, letting the darkness envelope her.
At first, all she could feel was panic. The walls seemed to press inward, the shadows moving in ways that made no sense. A distant drip of water echoed like a heartbeat, reminding her of how alone she truly was.
Hours passed or maybe minutes Aria couldn't tell. Her hands ached from leaning on the cold stone, her stomach grumbled, but she forced herself to breathe steadily. Fear was dangerous; it could break her.
Slowly, she began to explore the small space with her hands, memorizing the uneven edges of the walls, the faint cracks where dust had gathered. Each step she took was careful, deliberate.
Her mind drifted to her brother. Elias. Where was he now? Was he alive? Every memory of their laughter, his protests, and their small childhood adventures surged like fire through her chest.
The faint red light revealed a loose stone at the far corner of the room. Aria crouched and pried it free, revealing a small cavity. Inside, she found a scrap of parchment, brittle and stained. Symbols were scrawled across it, strange but familiar.
Her pulse quickened. A clue. Someone in this castle had left it intentionally or accidentally. She memorized it quickly, then returned the stone to its place.
Hours dragged by. Every sound footsteps, whispers, the scraping of metal made her heart jump. At one point, she swore she heard Lucien's voice faintly, though it could have been her imagination. The idea that he might be aware of her suffering made her spine tighten with both fear and curiosity.
She thought of Selene, and a shiver ran through her. But Aria had survived worse. She had endured the palace's cruelty before and she would endure it again.
Finally, footsteps approached, steady and measured. The guards had returned. She rose to her feet, exhausted and aching, yet her mind was sharper than before.
"You may leave," one guard said, unlocking the door.
Aria stepped into the dim hallway, blinking against the brighter light. Her body trembled, but she had survived. And somewhere, buried in the depths of the castle or hidden in the archives was a clue that could lead her to Elias.
As she walked, the red glow of the punishment room fading behind her, she realized one truth clearly: this castle tested more than strength. It tested courage, cunning, and patience.
And Aria intended to pass no matter the cost.