They shackle her wrists, locking her in place and the chains go tight—too tight.
“Irena!” I shout, my voice echoing uselessly off the stone. “I’m here! I’m right fucking here—look at me!”
She flinches as the chains settle, her breath coming fast and shallow. She looks down at herself—at the iron biting into her skin—and then slowly lifts her head.
For a heartbeat, her gaze seems to land right on me and hope surges in my chest.
But then her eyes slide past me, unfocused, and I know the truth—she can’t see me. She can’t hear me. She’s alone in this nightmare.
Just like I was.
One of the guards steps back, wiping his hands on his tunic.
“That should hold her.”
“What about the collar?” another asks.
“Not yet,” the first says. “Let her sit here for a while.”
They turn and leave, their laughter fading down the corridor, the torches taking the light with them.
The cell is plunged into shadow and Irena sags against the chains, her body trembling. She presses her forehead to the cold stone, breathing hard, clearly fighting not to cry. Her shoulders shake with silent sobs, and my chest feels like it’s splitting open.
“Fuck, baby,” I whisper hoarsely. “Irena… fuck… I’m so sorry.”
I pace the length of the cell like a caged animal, hands raking through my hair, every instinct screaming at me to break the chains…tear down the walls… burn the whole fucking castle to ash!
But I can’t do a damn thing.
She lifts her head again, blinking in the dark, and whispers my name.
“Valen…”
The sound of it nearly drops me to my knees.
“I’m here,” I say fiercely, rushing to her side. “I swear to you, I’m here. I won’t leave you. I won’t?—”
I reach for her cheek, desperate to feel her warmth, to give her comfort?—
But my hand passes right through her face.
I can’t touch her—can’t bring her any comfort or set her free.
Fuck, I feel so helpless…so useless.
She shudders, wrapping her fingers around the chains as if they’re the only thing keeping her upright. Fear radiates from her in waves—sharp and bitter. I can feel it, even if I can’t touch her.
This is what she saw when she first came to me…this is what she found when she came down to the dungeon to see the “beast.”
And suddenly the vision clicks into place, brutal and undeniable. The door isn’t just showing me a future—it’s asking me a question.
What if it’s her next time?
What if she’s the one chained…what if she’s the one abandoned?
What if I fail her?
“No,” I growl, fists clenched at my sides. “Not happening. I don’t care what this fucking door is trying to show me—I won’t let this be real.”
