Velvet Chains

, the house no l

obe

with the symbol that had burned itself into the mirror the night before - a jagged crown wrappe

ho had whispered behind masks. The ones who had watched Elira fall. And now, t

ian stood at ei

aid softly. "They

rce. "This house has been ruled by secrets.

ne s

r presence commanding. "I am not your re

pa

d've become - if yo

pled throug

n looked as if he was staring at some

e chandelier above responded,

se. But not by tradit

bold and foolish. "By

ilted h

n choose to stand beside me. Or you can b

arning pulse from the house itself. He

a sm

e had ch

wall - behind a shelf that only moved when

rs brushed th

ng ha

r palm harder. The surface p

ic

an, revealing a descending stairway

ng her every move. "That door ha

d, "Because no one since Elira has ha

r. Her bare feet t

ano

ark swallow

-

ed like forgotten

ted on its own, revealing a room unlike anything she'

ns lined with rose petals curled across the floor like serpents. A circular dais

rue heart pulsed

ched in gold

owed

eeling nobles, each lost in some blissful tranc

uched th

room r

into her legs, her spine, her throat. Eve

n's breath caught.

upposed to survive the Sanctum's memor

as a whisper. "

ghts d

ctum ca

ndrils of smoke. Cushions pulsed with heat. The air turned heavy with

be parting slightly as the S

it was designed for her. For what she

was silk. "And

rippled under her feet like water. A golden cuff sna

oom isn't just physical. It fe

a sm

t's time it l

-

nd Alina's wrist pul

. Just present - as if waiti

ever leaving hers. "The Sanctum te

long the velvet rope slitheri

s the floor and latched aroun

ra couldn't survive the Sanc

ow. "Is that a warn

ow, casting golden shadows across their bodies.

e Sanctu

Soft mist crept in at the edges. And from the mirrored ceiling above, projection

ftly as one fli

back in ecstasy as a masked figure knelt befo

ence. "She didn't die here, Alina.

sion. "No. It showed her

sponded to

ing off her limbs. The c

nto the dais, slo

to kneel?" he

ra raised her hand - and the masked man ob

heart

lvet throne in the center of the d

nt it," she

s eyes f

takin

she

she did, th

ousand reflections of her. The velvet his

ent under his breath - a vow o

self to one knee, e

own now," he said. "Wha

he throne, her voice like

ing I

-

d beneath her li

d whispering. The air was thick with memory - not her

echoed throug

th

al visi

hing like

. No chains.

sil

a stood at the far end-barefoot, blood dripping from her l

tremor crawl

"This is the moment

amed-but n

r

sked. Hooded. The very ones wh

y turned. They feared

mory s

etrayed her. Doors vanished. Walls s

rms of the throne. "

reprogrammed it. Changed the ma

l scene

lina's chamber. Her wrists bound in her own ench

t breath... sh

laug

ispered. "She knew s

eyes. "She knew

faded. Sile

nctum wasn

ng into a curved lounge with cuffs, restraints,

's a choice," he said softl

claim it fully, you must give it a piece of yourself-pain, blo

red at th

at Ca

k at the

le

spered, "I ch

from th

pain or chains. I will reshape it..

oaned. Displea

mirror..

peared in its f

own

-