6

REN'S POV

I slowly regain consciousness in an unfamiliar room, my surroundings shrouded in a haze of disorientation as a low throb reverberates against my temple. I notice the subdued lighting casting eerie shadows on unfamiliar walls, I feel the softness of plush beddings underneath my back and... something cold encasing my wrists.

Panic sets in as I lift myself off the bed and set my gaze on the cold, unyielding cuffs binding my hands and adding to my growing sense of vulnerability. The room's details –unknown pieces of furniture and muted colors– come into focus as my senses sharpen and bleary eyes begin to clear.

I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to steady my breathing and calm my racing heart. My focus shifts to the cold metal cuffs encircling my wrists, glinting in the dim light. Tracing their path, I find that they're connected to thick black leather straps that snake their way down to my feet, where they join with another set of cuffs, tightly restricting my movements.

Minutes roll by, and with every squeamish movement, there's an intensifying heat where the cuffs meet my flesh.

A familiar mist begins to form in front of me and his shadowy figure soon emerges from the emptiness, his imposing silhouette cutting through the void with an ominous presence. He is an enigma wrapped in darkness as he advances toward me, those dark malevolent eyes holding me captive.

Our gazes lock –mine a mix of trepidation and spite, and his void of emotion. For a moment I hear nothing but the deafening drum of my heart in my ears.

He speaks suddenly, breaking the stillness of the room. "Will you run?" he asks me, his voice low and serious.

I let his question hang in the air for a moment, considering my options as I lower my eyes briefly to the metal reminders of my captivity and my resolve hardens.

"No." The word rolls past my lips effortlessly and I glance back up to find him staring at me in blatant suspicion, silently perusing my face as he crosses his arms... searching for a tale tell sign of what he suspects to be a lie. It's not, but neither is it the truth I know he will settle for it to be.

My gaze shifts for a brief second to his muscly arms– barely enough time for him to notice the action. But I backtrack when I spot the faintest of ruby reds glinting behind those onyx eyes, the slightest upturn of his lips.

He saw.

Movement fluid like water, his arms come uncrossed as he leisurely crosses the small distance left between us. Almost immediately, I catch a whiff of his scent; woodsy, a base leathery note, and something else I can't seem to place a name on lingering beneath. Intoxicating and addictive, it clouds my senses and leaves me light-headed.

He kneels and reaches into his back pocket to retrieve something. A rough yank of the chains sends pain spiking up my wrists and successfully draws me from my reverie. I glower at him, eyeing the object resting between his index finger and thumb.

A key.

I purse my lips, my eyes darting to the side on instinct. A feeling blooms within me, radiating through my pores, but I force my body to relax.

A soft click signals the unlocking of the chains binding my hands together, and a relieved sigh is released as I begin to rub my sore and surely bruised wrists. But that moment doesn't last long as he angles his head upwards and shoots me a look, eyes blazing in warning.

Then he returns to his task. The chains drop to the floor with a loud clanging sound.

Once he is done, he takes a step back and assesses his work with a pleased nod.

"I have work to attend to," he says as he turns and discards the cuffs on a table set in a corner. "A maid will come by shortly with some food and water. I trust you to stand by your words."

With those parting words, he leaves, mahogany doors clicking softly behind him.

Remnants of liquid fear course through my veins and my body trembles involuntarily, while my mind screams at me to flee the impending captivity, a fate from which I refuse to succumb to once more, having endured it for the better part of my life. Despite the rational part of my mind urging me to extinguish my resolve, my reluctance to remain in the household of this stranger – who likely orchestrated my previous confinement – is palpable.

With a steely gaze, I shift my hazel eyes to the door that stands tall between me and my freedom, my resolve solidifying. "To hell with it," I mutter inwardly, seizing the fleeting opportunity for freedom. Adrenaline surges as I rise to my feet and slowly creep towards the door, my heart pounding against its constraints as my trembling, nimble fingers wrap around the cool doorknob and turn with deliberate slowness.

I hear nothing but static noises which dull the instant the metal gives way to the will of my palm and the door opens with a soft creak.

In the shadowy confines of the house, I move with calculated grace. My steps are a hushed whisper against creaky floorboards as I silently navigate the corridors and approach what I assume to be the exit, my breath holds in anticipation of every subtle sound. Streaks of sunlight filtering through curtains revealed determination in my eyes, reflecting the quiet desperation of my escape.

The house is silent... too silent. "Where are the maids?" I ask myself, but I can't bring myself to care for their whereabouts, attributing their absence to the intervention of some divine force.

Hope sprouts in my chest and blossoms like a wild rose, petals clogging my airways so I inhale shakily as I cross what I assume to be a living room and set my sights on a door.

I bolt towards the door, anticipation of liberation quickening my pulse until it nearly overwhelms me.

My hand reaches out, grasping the handle of the sturdy maroon door, but my elation comes to an abrupt halt as an icy grip seizes my arm, wrenching me back towards him with alarming force.

I collide with his chest, a jolt of electricity coursing down my spine as his deep voice –a seductive cadence– resonates next to my ear, his breath fanning my skin and luscious lips gently grazing my ear.

"Liar." He whispers in my ear, his accusation hanging heavy in the air.

His intense gaze, like pools of midnight, bore into me with a silent condemnation, causing my breath to catch in my throat as my world seems to crumble beneath me, quite literally. The ground gives way beneath my feet, swallowing me whole into a void of darkness.

And then... I burn.