Chapter 003

"Ava, you're not doing this for love," Rogan stated bluntly in an emotionless voice. The words broke the stillness and caused a chill in the air that was unrelated to the cool evening wind outside.

I tensed up, avoiding eye contact. I was unable to. I could lose myself in the tempest in his eyes, the storm I used to be able to handle so easily if I did. He seemed like a whole stranger to me now, someone I had lost contact with.

I suppose I had anticipated the coldness. However, it was a quite different story to hear it and experience it so acutely and personally.

With my throat constricted, I muttered, "I didn't ask for any of this." "You also don't have to act like this is what you want. Both of us are aware that this is not what we had in mind.

My remarks didn't make Rogan wince. His face was as composed as ever, a mask, unbreakable and unflinching. I used to believe that Rogan's quiet was simply an indication of his depth, even mystique. Now, though, it was just... far away. It seemed as if he had already decided on everything, including me.

With his jaw clenched and his eyes now set on the floor, he replied, "Ava, I don't have a choice." "Neither do you. You have witnessed how our world functions.

I spat out a sour laugh and shook my head. "You always followed the rules." However, I hoped that you would at least be civil enough to look at me the way you used to. to be concerned.

For a brief moment, I glimpsed something—something unadulterated, something human—before his eyes shifted upward and disappeared beneath layers of something deeper. Though his tone didn't match his words, he said softly, "I do care." It was an odd, disjointed form of care that didn't seem to involve anything gentle or compassionate. It was the cold, calculating, and aloof attention that a leader gives to his group. A duty rather than a wish.

"That's not good enough," I yelled, startling myself with how acerbic my tone was. "Rogan, you've been aloof for years. And now—you want me to think that this is our best course of action? This... this agreement?

I felt the full weight of the word crashing down on me as it lingered between us. An agreement. Our parents' marriage was based on old alliances rather than love. In a game neither of us had requested to play, we were merely pawns.

Although Rogan's face was still unreadable, I could see the tiniest hint of annoyance flit over it. "Ava, I don't want this. However, I shall fulfill my obligations.

The silent truth was there. He had always prioritized his duties. And I was solely to blame if I had been foolish enough to believe that I could alter that.

The weight of it all made my heart hurt, so I stepped back. "Rogan, why even bother trying?" My voice trembled as I asked. "Whatever became of us? We were meant to be more than that.

His visage stiffened again as if he were preparing for something, then his eyes softened slightly. Perhaps for me.

He said, "I'm not the same person anymore, Ava," with a sense of finality in every syllable. And you ought to quit assuming that I will be. Now, things are different.

His comments pricked me more than I could have ever imagined. He wasn't merely pushing me away; he was adamantly informing me that the version of him I had loved was no longer alive. And I was blindly holding on to an unachievable dream—that version of myself that still thought we could have something real.

I wanted to scream and be furious at how unfair everything was, but I refrained. Rather, I nodded while carrying the weight of his apathy on my shoulders.

"All right," I murmured, my voice scarcely audible as I spoke. Then we'll follow through. We'll do our share. I'll wed you. I'll play my part. However, don't assume that I'm anything more than a stranger.

Even though I could hear my voice trembling and betraying me, I was unable to stop it. Now this was the situation. Softness and the tenderness that had previously been between us have no place here.

After a prolonged period of silence, Rogan finally spoke, and his words were icy but not cruel. "Ava, this is what's best for us both. For me, for your family. Don't make things more difficult than they need to be.

His comments weighed heavily on me as I looked at him. What's best for us both? Or what's best for him? His relatives? This had nothing to do with anything else but obligation. And for that, I detested him. I detested myself even more, though, because I couldn't leave. Because I secretly knew that I would not leave, no matter how much I wanted to. I was unable to. Not quite yet.

However, there was more. Something that tugged at me like an invisible force, gnawing at the back of my mind. A part of me didn't think Rogan was telling the truth. didn't think that our separation was due to obligation alone. No. Something was concealed there. A secret. He wasn't giving me this truth.

And I couldn't get rid of the thought that Aria was somehow involved.

The idea struck me like a blast of cold water. I blinked in an attempt to get rid of the picture of my twin sister, their intimacy, and the way she always appeared to have a part of him that I was never able to.

However, that was absurd, wasn't it? My sister was Aria. I was unable to even consider it.

Could I?

I took an automatic step back as Rogan moved closer. The air felt heavier and more oppressive because of his closeness.

With a cold tone, he remarked, "I'll see you at the ceremony," and turned to go. However, he stopped as he got to the door and looked back. "Remember that, Ava. This won't last forever. It is a responsibility. a responsibility to our families that we both share.

Then he walked off.

I remained motionless as the sound of his footsteps faded away, leaving only the weight of his words. Even though my chest hurt, I fought the need to cry. Not right now.

I kept thinking that something was seriously wrong as I made my way to the window. I was unable to see it yet.

Then I noticed it. In the distance. A large, menacing shadow is creeping across the forest's border.

A figure looking on.

I wasn't alone myself.

I realized then that everything was going to change.