Chapter Eight – She can’t Leave!

Javen stood in his dimly lit room, sifting through his clothes, preparing to head into town. He had just pulled a dark brown tunic over his broad shoulders when a soft knock echoed through the wooden door.

Without waiting for permission, Elara pushed it open, her head peeking in first before she stepped inside. The door groaned on its hinges.

"Javen?" she called.

He didn’t answer, simply fastening the straps of his tunic.

"Are you not getting ready?" he asked after a moment, adjusting the fabric over his toned chest.

"I will," she replied, hesitating before stepping further inside. She perched herself on the edge of his bed, watching him. "But… don’t you think we need to help?"

Javen stilled, his fingers pausing over his belt. Slowly, he turned to look at her, his expression unreadable.

"What?" His voice was sharp, edged with warning.

Elara exhaled, folding her hands in her lap. "Taliya," she said. "She doesn’t want to be here, Javen. And we both know this isn’t her world. You have the magic to send her back. Why won’t you help her?"

Javen’s jaw clenched, his fists tightening at his sides.

"I can’t."

Elara frowned. "What do you mean you can’t?" she pressed. "You know how powerful you are. Besides, it’s not like you even like her, so why—"

"I said I can’t." His voice cut through her words like a blade.

Elara swallowed, frustration rising. "Someone lured her into this world, Javen. You know how dangerous that is. She’s not from here, she’s fragile—whoever brought her here wants to use her. She won’t survive in a world like this!" Her voice softened. "She was lucky to escape that beast… and Kaidon."

At the mention of that name, Javen’s expression darkened, something flickering behind his golden-green eyes.

"You know how ruthless he is," Elara continued. "We should help her get back before it’s too late."

Javen exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "No, Elara," he said firmly. "She can’t leave. She’ll be fine."

Elara’s brows furrowed. "What? What do you mean she’ll be fine? You can help her—why won’t you?" Her voice rose, frustration turning to anger.

A sudden crack split the air.

The glass on the table shattered, shards scattering across the floor. Elara whipped her head toward the broken pieces, then back at Javen.

His eyes were glowing, his chest rising and falling with deep, measured breaths.

"I can’t let her go." he said, his voice low, deadly.

Then, without another word, he turned and strode out of the room, leaving Elara frozen in shock.

◇◇◇

Taliya tilted her head as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. She turned slightly, glancing over her shoulder to assess the oversized tunic Elara had given her to wear before she and Javen had left.

“This is way too big,” she muttered with a sigh, tugging at the loose fabric.

Her eyes scanned the room until they landed on a pair of scissors resting on a nearby table. A small smile curled on her lips.

Moments later, she stood before the mirror again, now dressed in a cropped, sleeveless top and a knee-length flared skirt. The adjustments made the outfit fit her figure perfectly—maybe too perfectly.

She exhaled, eyeing her reflection with slight discomfort. Her curves—her full chest, wide hips—were more noticeable than she would have liked. Back home, she had always hidden behind oversized clothing, avoiding anything that clung too closely to her body. She shivered at the sight of the outfit she had arrived in—the skimpy beachwear her friend had forced her to wear.

"Ah… I have no choice," she murmured, pushing her thoughts aside before stepping out of the room.

The house was quiet—Javen and Elara had already left, leaving her alone. She glanced around, her fingers trailing the wooden table as she thought.

They had given her shelter, taken her in even though she was a complete stranger. The least she could do was show her gratitude.

Determined, she smiled. "I should at least make a meal… and clean up."

◇◇◇

The torches lining the stone walls flickered as Rylan led a group of guards down the dimly lit dungeon corridor.

Their footsteps echoed off the damp, ancient stones, but Rylan barely paid attention to the eerie atmosphere—his focus was fixed on the heavy door ahead.

He raised a hand, silently signaling the guards. One of them stepped forward, unlocking the iron door with a loud, grating click.

As the door groaned open, Rylan felt his pulse quicken.

Kaidon was already standing.

His powerful frame loomed in the dim light, chains still binding his wrists, yet he looked utterly unbothered—completely unrestrained by the iron shackles that would have left any other man broken.

His crimson eyes burned through the darkness, locking onto Rylan like a predator that had been kept caged for far too long.

“Master.” Rylan murmured, bowing his head. The guards behind him followed suit.

Wordlessly, he stepped forward, unfastening the thick metal cuffs that kept Kaidon bound.

The moment they clattered to the ground, Kaidon flexed his fingers, rolling his wrist as if he had simply been inconvenienced rather than imprisoned.

Without hesitation, he strode out of the dungeon. Rylan fell into step beside him, keeping his posture firm despite the unease settling in his chest.

There was a shift in Kaidon’s energy—something new, something different.

Kaidon had never been the type to speak without purpose, but his silence now felt... heavier.

As they ascended the stone staircase leading back to the main halls of the castle, Rylan finally chanced a glance at him.

“Master… are we returning to the throne room?”

Kaidon came to a sudden stop.

“No..” he said, his voice calm, but the weight behind it sent a shiver through Rylan.

Kaidon turned to him, his gaze unreadable.

“I’m going to the town.”

Rylan’s brows furrowed in confusion. “The town?” He hesitated. “Why, Master?”

Kaidon’s gaze darkened, something dangerous flashing through his expression. “I need to find her.”

Rylan tensed.

Her.

That was the same thing Kaidon had murmured the night before when they had first locked him away. At the time, Rylan had assumed it was just another cryptic statement from the man who rarely explained himself. But now… hearing it again, spoken with even more conviction, made something twist uneasily in Rylan’s gut.

“…Who, Master?” he finally asked, his voice careful. “Who is it that you need to find?”

Kaidon’s crimson gaze burned into him.

“My soulmate,” he said simply. “She is in the town.”