The cold embrace of the water deepened as Kaelen dragged Aria down into the endless abyss. Her chest was tight, fear gnawing at her insides, making her limbs even heavier in the frigid depths. The water was pitch-black now, no bioluminescent algae to illuminate the space around them. Only the occasional flicker of Kaelen's tail caught the faintest traced fo light form the cave above, his scales shimmering briefly like ghostly echoes.

The pressure of the water seemed to crush her body, making it harder to breathe even though Kaelen had given some air. His grip remained unyielding as he led her deeper into this watery prison, his silence more terrifying than his previous outbursts of anger. It's unnerved her more than his rage ever had.

After what felt like an eternity, they entered a narrow tunnel that led into another cave, the entrance barely wide enough for them to squeeze through. Claustrophobia clawed at Aria, the walls of the tunnel closing in on her as they passed through. When they breached the surface, Kaelen's arms still clung tightly to her, as she gasped for air, scanning her surroundings.

The cave was different. Darker, more menacing. The suffocating blackness felt tangible, as though the darkness itself was alive, pressing against her skin, seeking to consume her. There was no glow form the bioluminescent algae. Only an overwhelming, suffocating void that seemed to swallow her whole.

Kaelen's tail released her, and for a moment, Aria floated in place, her arms trembling as she tried to orient herself. But there was nothing to cling to. Her feet brushed against jagged rocks beneath her, and the sharp sting brought a flash of clarity. The cave was far more cramped than the one she had been held in until now, the walls jagged and sharp. Her chest tightened as panic set in. Was this her fate? To be left here, forgotten, in the dark where she couldn't even see her own hands?

Here," Kaelen's voice echoes in the cramped space, cold and detached. Aria quickly found the glow of his blue eyes – the only light in the entire cave. They seemed more piercing now, almost predatory. "This is where you will learn your lesson, Alaria."

His hands wrapped around her middle, lifted her out of the water, and dumped her painfully onto the cave floor. The impact jolted through her, pain shooting up her side as a small rock dug into her thigh. She stifled a cry, clenching her fists until her nails bit into her falls, grounding her in the pain.

Aria's heart pounded in her chest. She reached out instinctively, her fingers brushing against the slight, uneven walls of the cave, searching for any semblance of stability. But Kaelen had already moved back, his powerful form disappearing into the water as if he were part of it. The water rippled once, then stilled, leaving only the suffocating silence in his wake.

He was gone, and she was truly alone now.

The silence pressed down on her like the weight of the ocean itself. It was more than silence – it was isolation. A crushing loneliness that seemed to seep into her bones. Her mind raced as she conjured up the horrors that could be lurking in the darkness around her. What if she slipped into the water and couldn't find her way out? What if the cave walls closed in on her, trapping her in an endless labyrinth beneath the waves?

"Kaelen!" She called, her voice shaking as it echoed weakly off the cave walls. There was no answer. Her only response was the cold water lapping against the rock and the sound of her own ragged breathing. The weight of the dark pressed against her chest, as if the cave itself was suffocating her.

Aria scuffled a little over the rock she'd been placed on, her hands and knees venturing no further than an inch at a time. Eventually, she found the rock wall behind her. It was jagged and unforgiving, but it was something solid to hold onto. She clung to the rock, afraid to move too far. The thought of falling into the water and loosing her grip terrified her. She had no idea how deep this cave went, and the complete darkness left her with no sense of direction. Every muscle in her body was tense, as if even the slightest movement would send her plunging into the depths below.

The minutes dragged on, Turing into hours. Alone in the dark, the weight of her saturation pressed down on her, suffocating her with the realisation of how trapped she was. Her captivity, once tempered by the bioluminescent glow of the other cave as well as the unpredictable presence of Kaelen, now felt even more unbearable. Here, there was only darkness. No flicker of hope.

Her teeth chattered, not just form the cold but form the raw, consuming fear that threatens to swallow her whole. While she had never actually feared the dark, this was a different kind of fear. A haunting fear. A miserable lonely kind of fear.

As she sat in the darkness, shivering form both the cold and the gnawing fear, aria's mind raced. She couldn't let herself break down. She couldn't stay here forever, under his control, his captive in this dark prison. Kaelen's possessiveness, his obsession with her – he thought of her as his goddess, his Alaria. And while it terrified her, a seed of defiance began to take root.

She needed to survive. She needed to find a way out of this.

What if I can use it? The thought crept into her mind, unwelcome but persistent. Kaelen's need to possess her, to keep her close – it was a weakness. A dangerous one, but still, a weakness she could exploit. Maybe, just maybe, she could use his obsession to her advantage. If she played into it, made him believe she was starting to accept her role, perhaps she's could buy herself enough time to escape.

But the idea came with a cost. She would have to play his game. She would have to feign affection, pretend to care. The thought of manipulating him, of feeding into his delusions, made her stomach churn. But what other choice did she have? In this dark, suffocating cave, with no escape in sight. Her options were limited.

She clenched her jaw, her mind hardening as the flan took shape. She would become what he wanted, if only for long enough to survive.

Time seemed to stretch on, and Aria's body grew weak form the isolation, her muscles aching from clinging to the wall. The cold had become a constant gnawing presence, stealing what little strength she had left. Her stomach growled, hunger a sharp reminder of her fragile state. She hadn't eaten, and her limbs trembled from exhaustion. Her thoughts felt sluggish, as though the darkness was seeping into her very mind, clouding her ability to think.

Then, after what felt like an eternity, she heard movement in the water. Her heart leapt into her chest, fear and hope intertwining. Was it Kaelen? Or something else? One of the dangerous creatures he had spoken about? Her mind conjured images of sharp teeth and unseen predators lurking just beneath the surface.

The sound grew closer, and soon she could make out the faint outline of a figure approaching the water. Two glowing blue lights slowly approaching her.

"Kaelen?" She whispered, her voice trembling in the dark. Her body was still tense, her muscles coiled like a spring, ready to flee if something else came out of the abyss. She heard the sound of something being placed beside her – a splash of water. Then his voice, cold and distant echoed through the cave.

"Eat," his said simply, his tone devoid of the usual warmth. The word was more of a command than a gesture of care.

Her stomach clenched. The idea of feed, even in her weakened state, filled her with disgust.

She head the fain sound of something dropping beside her, with a wet splash, followed by the sound of him swimming away, leaving her once more in the crushing solitude of the cave. She was alone, the blue glow of his eyes gone. He was gone.

Aria groped around in the darkness until her fingers found the fish he had left her. It was raw, of course, and the mere thought of eating it still made her stomach turn. But desperation overruled revulsion. Hunger gnawed at her insides, and she knew she had no choice. She forced herself to eat the slimy fish, slowly removing the small fish bones form her mouth as she couldn't avoid them in the dark. Each bit was a fight against her body's natural instincts, but she pushed through. Survival demanded it.

As she ate, Aria realised how far she had fallen. This was her life now – a captive in a cold, dark cave, forced toe eat raw fish just to survive. Her mind drifted back to her life before this nightmare, before Kaelen had pulled her into his world. She thought of the sun, of the warmth on her skin, her feet in the grass as she and Holly discussed their futures.

Aria had considered going abroad, working a year to find herself. Now she would give anything to be back there – to have any semblance of her old life.

But it was gone. Taken. Stolen from her the moment Kaelen had decided she was his.

The reality of her situation hit her with brutal force. If she didn't play this right, if she didn't learn how to manipulate him, she would never escape. She would die in this cave.

She wiped her mouth the the back of her hand, her throat tight with emotion. This was no longer about simply surviving. She needed to win.

Aria took a deep breath, her fingers brushing agains the jagged rock. She had never been one for games of manipulation. But now, in the suffocating darkness, it was her only way out.

Days passed in this solitary confinement, or at least, that's how it felt. Time had lost all meaning to Aria, she had no way to measure in the darkness. Kaelen appeared at random times, there seemed to be no order to him timings – not like previously. That's how she knew whether it was her breakfast or dinner. But now – she was completely lost. The isolation wore on her, sapping her strength and will. She grew weaker with each passing hour, her thoughts spiralling as she replayed Kaelen's words over and over in her mind. "This is your home now, Alaria, you will learn to love me, as I do you." – "You'll never escape me."

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she heard movement again. The water stirred as Kaelen's approached once more, his presence as overwhelming as ever. Aria turned her shivering body in the direction fo his glowing eyes. The only light. Her heart pounded in her sheet, her body trembly at the prospect of him leaving her again. She was exhausted, although she had nothing much to do than sleep sleep came wistfully.

Kaelen dropped another fish which Aria gratefully accepted. But this time, he didn't leave immediately. Instead, he lingered, his massive form looming n the shadows just out of reach. She couldn't see him clearly, but the gaze on her was intense and unrelenting.

"I missed you," Kaelen's voice finally broke the silence, soften than she had expected, but no less dangerous. There was an edge of something almost like vulnerability in his tone, a flicker of the obsession that had driven him to imprison here here in the first place. His anger at her escape.

Aria's heart skipped a beat, this was her chance. She had to tread carefully, to use this moment to her advantage.

She swallowed hard, gathering what little strength she had left. "Kaelen..." she whispered, her voice weak but steady. "Please... I can't stay here anymore. It's too dark, too cold."

He moved closer and she could see the faint outline of his face. His expression was unreadable, but she could sense the conflict in him, the battle between his possessiveness and whatever remained of his care for her.

"I thought you would come to understand," said quietly, his voice laced with frustration. "Who do you belong to, Alaria?"

"You. I belong to you," she whispered though the fords felt like a poison on her tongue. "But not like this. I can't... I can't survive in the dark." Her teeth chattered as a shiver ran down her spine. She was cold. So cold.

Kaelen's gaze bore into hers, searching her face for any sign of deception. Aria's heart raced as she felt his gaze, forcing herself to appear vulnerable, defeated. If she could just make him believe that she as breaking, that she was staring her accept her place, maybe he would let her out of this prison.

After a long, tense moment, Kaelen sighed. He reached out, his fingers brushing against her cheek in a gesture that almost felt tender. "Very well," he said, his voice low. "But remember, Alaria, you are mine. You'll never escape me."

With that, he pulled her gently into his arms and dragged her into the water. It was cold, colder than Aria remembered it being. She took a shaky breath before they disappeared beneath the water once more. Kaelen swam with powerful strokes and in no time. Even with her eyes closed she could see the glow of the bioluminescent algae coming into view. A bright light unsung the darkness.

As they entered the familiar cave, Aria opened her eyes slowly and breathed a sigh of relief. The lights were bright to her light-deprived eyes. The cave was illuminated in a beautiful ethereal light. The oppressive darkness of the punishment finally behind her.

Kaelen placed her gently on the rock ledge near the water, his gaze lingering on her for a moment longer than usual. There was a strange intensity in his eyes, a mix of longing and something darker, something she couldn't quiet place.

"I missed you," he whispered again, his voice soft.

Aria forced herself to nod, her heart pounding in her chest. She was back in the light now. "I missed you too." And perhaps she really had.