The footsteps of both echoed softly as they entered the quiet castle corridor. The dim chandeliers cast a warm glow on the old stone walls, but it wasn’t enough to chase away the chill that now enveloped Adriana’s heart. She walked a little behind Ryan, silent, occasionally glancing at him with feelings that were hard to explain.
In front of her, Ryan walked upright with his usual blank expression. Calm, unhurried, and even seeming gentle compared to the tension outside earlier. But for Adriana, that calmness only created doubts that haunted her thoughts.
Memories of the past came crashing back. The scars that hadn’t completely healed, memories of the last moments before her life was brutally taken from her. She still remembered that night—the silent forest, the cold ground, and two face
