(Aeris’s POV)

It was midnight.

I was falling.Again.

The darkness swallowed me whole, weightless yet heavy, as if the void itself was wrapping around my body like chains.Again. My breath hitched—no air, no ground beneath my feet, just endless nothingness.

And then, he appeared.

The one-horned man.Again.

He stood before me, an amused smile curving his lips as his eerie eyes locked onto mine. It felt like he could see through me, through my very soul, peeling away layers of my existence with just a glance.

I tried to step back. My mind screamed at me to move, to run—anything—but my body wouldn’t listen.

Why… why can’t I move?

“Why do you resist so much, little flower?” he mused, tilting his head. His voice was calm, honeyed—wrong. “Did you really think you could escape me forever?”

My lips parted, desperate to say something—to curse at him, to deny his words—but no sound came out. I clenched my fists, willing myself to fight, to struggle.

Nothing.

My body was frozen.

It was like invisible hands had wrapped around me, holding me in place, suffocating me without a single touch.

My heart pounded violently against my ribs.

This is a dream. Just a dream. I’ll wake up. I’ll—

He stepped closer, his hand reaching up to trace my jawline, his fingers cool against my burning skin. I flinched—but I didn’t move.

“You’re strong,” he whispered. “That’s why you’re mine.”

A surge of panic crashed over me like a tidal wave.

No.

No, I belong to no one.

I gritted my teeth, fighting, forcing my body to move. Something. A finger, a twitch, a breath—anything to break free.

For a moment, I felt something shift.

A spark of resistance.

The invisible chains loosened just slightly, and I gasped, feeling my hand tremble at my side. I could fight this. I would fight this—

The moment was short-lived.

A sharp, searing pain exploded in my skull.

I cried out, my knees buckling as an unseen force carved into me—branding me, claiming me. The pain was unbearable, like hot iron being pressed into my very existence. My mind throbbed, my vision darkening at the edges.

His fingers pressed against my forehead, and suddenly, a foreign presence wrapped around my thoughts. A voice—his voice—echoed through my head, drowning out everything else.

"You cannot fight me, Aeris. You are already under my control."

I gasped, clutching my head as the weight of his presence bore down on me. It was as if he was inside me now—inside my mind.

I tried to scream.

I tried to move.

I tried to resist.

But my body refused.

I stood still, my hands falling limply to my sides, my vision turning hazy.

And then—

I smiled.

No…

I wasn’t smiling.

I felt my lips curl, but it wasn’t me.

"Now, little flower," his voice coiled around my thoughts like a serpent, "let me show you where you truly belong."

Darkness crashed over me like a wave.

And I sank.

--------

(Zephirion’s POV)

The night was unsettling.

A stillness hung over the castle, thick and suffocating. It wasn’t natural. It felt wrong.

I stood on my balcony, watching the silver glow of the moon cast long shadows over the land. Something gnawed at me—a strange unease that refused to leave my chest.

Then I heard it.

A soft whimper.

Not the wind. Not my imagination.

Aeris.

I moved instantly.

My gaze landed on her immediately.

She was trembling.

Her fingers clutched the silk sheets so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Sweat dampened her forehead, her breathing shallow, uneven. Her lips parted slightly as though she was trying to speak—trying to plead.

A frown creased my forehead.

She was trapped in something.

A nightmare? No… something worse.

"Aeris," I called, stepping closer. She didn’t stir.

Her body tensed again, her brows furrowed—then suddenly, her lips parted, and a faint whisper escaped.

"No… stop…"

I froze.

Something was wrong.

A surge of possessiveness coursed through me, a burning anger at whatever force was tormenting her.

I placed a hand on her shoulder, giving her a gentle shake. "Aeris, wake up."

Nothing.

Her trembling worsened. Then she flinched, as if in pain.

A low growl rumbled in my chest. Who is doing this to you?

Leaning closer, I cupped her cheek, wiping away the cold sweat. “Aeris,” I called again, softer this time. "Come back."

She stirred.

A sharp inhale. Her fingers twitched against my chest, her body pressing slightly closer as though seeking warmth.

Then, slowly, her lashes fluttered open.

A long silence.

She stared at me, her breathing still uneven.

Then… she smiled.

But something about it was wrong.

It was not her usual expression—not the sarcastic smirk she gave when teasing me, nor the irritated frown she wore when Valerion acted like an idiot.

It was something else.

Something different.

Something I couldn't put into words.

For the first time in a long while, a strange feeling settled deep in my chest—one I did not like.

To be continued