Chapter 5 : strip

I barely had time to react before Onyx stepped forward, his eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine. Then, with almost no effort, he reached out and grabbed the iron bars of my cell.

At first, I thought he was merely testing their strength, but then I heard it, the sharp groan of metal giving way beneath his fingers.

My breath hitched.

With one sudden, brutal pull, he wrenched the door off its hinges. The iron twisted and screeched as if it were made of nothing more than brittle wood. Dust and stone crumbled at his feet, and the sheer force of his strength left me momentarily stunned.

I barely had time to process what had happened before I felt his hands on me.

One moment, I was on the cold, filthy floor of my cell. The next, I was lifted effortlessly into the air, cradled against his chest as if I weighed nothing. My heart pounded as I clutched at his coat, my breath coming in sharp gasps.

"What- Onyx?"  I stammered, but he didn't answer.

He turned sharply toward the corridor, his grip on me unyielding. I should have fought him. I should have protested. But I couldn't think straight.

The dungeon walls blurred as he carried me through the dimly lit halls.

Shouts erupted ahead of us.

The guards.

They were already moving to stop him, drawing their weapons as they charged forward.

"Put her down!" one of them barked, but Onyx didn't slow his pace.

As if irritated by their mere presence, he shifted me in his arms with an ease that made my stomach tighten, I felt like a baby being carried, then he lashed out with his foot.

The first guard was sent flying into the opposite wall with such force that the stone cracked on impact.

The second barely had time to react before Onyx grabbed him by the throat, squeezing just hard enough to make him gasp for breath before tossing him aside like a discarded rag doll.

Another guard tried to stab him.

Onyx caught the blade in his bare hand.

For a heartbeat, the room was silent as the guard's eyes widened in horror.

Then Onyx crushed the weapon in his palm.

The metal shattered into useless shards, falling to the ground with a clatter.

The last guard staggered back, his face was pale with fear of Onyx's strength.

"Tell my father," Onyx said, his voice was calm, "that I'll be in my room."

With that, he turned away and carried me through the halls like nothing had happened.

I was still trembling by the time we reached the upper levels of the castle.

By the time we reached his chambers.

The door slammed shut behind us.

Finally, he set me down.

My legs wobbled beneath me, but I managed to steady myself as I took in my surroundings.

His room was massive—far bigger than anything I had ever known. The walls were dark, the furniture sleek and luxurious, a contrast to the worn-down corners of the castle where I was usually kept. A large fireplace crackled in the corner, casting flickering shadows across the high ceiling.

The scent of leather, sandalwood, and something that was just him filled the space.

I turned back toward him, my pulse still racing.

Onyx was watching me.

Not just watching.

Observing.

He had taken a seat in a grand chair near the fireplace, his legs spread lazily apart, his elbow resting on the armrest as he studied me like I was some rare, exotic creature he had just acquired.

His piercing blue eyes dragged over me slowly, leisurely, as if he had all the time in the world.

A smirk tugged at his lips.

"You look better up close," he murmured, almost as if he were speaking to himself.

I swallowed, my throat dry.

His gaze traveled lower, lingering on the tattered clothing I had been forced to wear all these years.

His expression darkened slightly.

"They dress you like a slave," he mused, tilting his head. "But under all that, I can tell... you'd be stunning if they actually let you look like a proper woman."

My cheeks flamed.

I clenched my fists at my sides, my nails digging into my palms.

I didn't know what to say.

I wasn't used to being spoken about like this like my appearance mattered.

Like I mattered.

Onyx leaned forward slightly, his smirk deepening as if he could hear every thought racing through my mind.

Then, his next words made my breath catch.

"Strip."

I froze.

My heart lurched painfully.

I must have misheard him.

My lips parted slightly, my mind scrambling to process what he had just said.

"What?" I whispered, my voice barely audible.

His smirk didn't falter.

"Take off your clothes."