جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 30

Tension ArisingLucienThe steam rose in thick clouds from the water, swirling around the room, filling the air with warmth. It was a place I often came to clear my mind, to escape the pressures of the world. But today, even the steam felt stifling. The weight on my chest, the pressure building with every passing day, wouldn’t let go. The decisions I had made were beginning to consume me, and I was caught in a web that was getting tighter by the moment.I leaned on the stone wall beside the steaming basin, my hands gripping the edge. I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself, but the tension never seemed to go away. A soft noise behind me made me turn.There she was.Irene.The girl I had brought from the motel, the one who now stood as my bride-to-be. She walked toward me with slow, deliberate steps, her expression calm but her posture too stiff to be natural. I noticed the way she held herself, with a mixture of entitlement and restraint, like she was trying to keep up appearanc

The ConfessionLucienThe room went completely silent after Irene spoke.“I have something to confess,” she said again, her voice louder this time, steady but strained.My heart dropped hard inside my chest.For a moment, I could not move. My thoughts rushed ahead of me, faster than I could control. Was she about to expose everything? Was she about to tell them where she came from? About the agreement? About the truth I had tried so hard to keep hidden?“Irene,” I said sharply, stepping forward, “what is this?”She did not turn toward me. Her eyes stayed fixed on my father.“I asked for permission to speak,” she said.My brother laughed loudly.“What a performance,” Darius said, his voice echoing through the hall. “First dancing, now confessions. Brother, are you certain you did not bring madness into the palace?”A few elders shifted in their seats. I could feel their eyes moving between Irene and me.I reached out and grabbed Irene’s wrist. “Enough. You will leave this hall now.”I

What I Ran FromErwin (Mila)The door slammed behind me the moment I stepped into the house.“Erwin?” Marge’s voice came from the hearth. “You’re back already? Did something happen?”I did not answer.My boots hit the floor harder than needed as I moved past her. My chest felt tight, like I had been holding my breath for too long.“Won’t you eat?” she asked again, worried now. “I kept food warm.”“No,” I said, my voice flat. “I’m not hungry.”She stood in my way. “At least look at me.”I turned my face aside and walked past her. I did not trust myself to speak again. If I did, everything inside me would spill out.I shut my door and leaned against it. My hands shook as I reached for the latch and slid it closed.Only then did I breathe.The room was dark and quiet. My bed sat untouched. The small table near the wall held my folded clothes from the morning. Everything looked the same, but I felt different. Wrong.I pulled my shirt over my head and let it fall to the floor. Then my tro

whispers in the dark LucienThe door to my chamber closed behind me with a dull sound.The room was dark.At first, I thought I was alone. I loosened my coat and took a step forward, my body still heavy from the night. My leg ached, my head throbbed, and my thoughts would not settle.Then a voice spoke from the shadows.“You came back late.”I stopped.“Irene,” I said.She sat on the edge of my chair near the window, her shape barely visible in the low light. The curtains were drawn. Only a thin line of moonlight slipped through.“I was waiting,” she said.“I didn’t ask you to,” I replied.She stood slowly. “You didn’t need to.”I sighed and moved toward the table. “You shouldn’t be here.”“This is my room too,” she said calmly. “Isn’t that what everyone believes?”I did not answer.She stepped closer. I could sense her now, even without seeing her face clearly.“You left earlier,” she continued. “You didn’t finish what you started.”My jaw tightened. “Nothing was started.”She laugh

The Changed Erwin POV~Selena changed. At first, I did not notice it. Or maybe I noticed and chose not to care.She stopped waiting for me in the mornings. Before, she always knocked on my door or lingered nearby, asking if I had eaten or if I was heading out early. Now, she passed me without slowing, sometimes not even looking my way.It felt quiet.Peaceful, even.I told myself I liked it.She stopped offering to walk with me to the market. When Marge sent us both on errands, Selena walked ahead or behind, never beside me. She did not chatter. She did not blush. She did not smile at me the way she used to.I thought, Good. This is better.I had enough in my head already.The first time she snapped at me, I almost laughed.“Erwin, are you blind?” she shouted.I stopped mid-step and looked at her.“You spilled water everywhere,” she continued sharply. “Do you enjoy making extra work for people?”I stared at the wet floor, then at her face.Before, Selena would have waved it off. She