Chapter 1 - The Ruined Castle’s Secret

The sky loomed heavy with storm clouds, casting an eerie gray over the abandoned Draven Castle. The ruins stood desolate, its crumbling stone walls whispering of a history long forgotten by time. Yet, as Selene Carter stepped over the scattered debris, a strange chill crawled down her spine—as if the very air around her was watching.

She shivered and pulled her coat tighter, her boots crunching against the gravel-strewn floor. This wasn’t the first ancient ruin she had explored as an archaeologist, but something about this place unsettled her more than she cared to admit.

"You feel that?" she murmured to herself, her breath visible in the crisp evening air.

"Feel what?" Daniel, her colleague, called from behind. He was busy flipping through his notebook, oblivious to the unnatural stillness in the air.

Selene exhaled sharply. Maybe she was imagining things. The wind whistled through the empty corridors, howling through the broken windows like a mournful song. The castle had been abandoned for centuries, a relic of a forgotten king’s reign, swallowed by time.

And yet… it didn’t feel empty.

Her fingers brushed the rough stone walls, and for a fleeting second, a sensation surged through her—warmth, familiarity… like an echo of something long lost.

Shaking off the strange feeling, she continued deeper into the ruins, her eyes drawn to the shattered remains of what must have been the throne room.

Tall, cracked columns lined the hall, their engravings faded with time. The massive stone throne, though worn, still sat at the far end of the room. And at its base—something shimmered beneath the dust and debris.

Selene’s pulse quickened.

She knelt down, brushing away layers of dirt to reveal an intricately designed silver pendant—a serpent devouring its own tail, a symbol of eternity. The metal was cool against her fingertips, yet strangely… alive.

A sudden gust of wind surged through the room, snuffing out the dim glow of her lantern.

Daniel cursed from across the hall. "Damn it! The storm’s getting worse—Selene, we need to go!"

But she barely heard him.

A strange force pulsed from the pendant, traveling up her arm like a jolt of electricity.

Then, the world shifted.

The air thickened, the ruins around her warped, and an invisible pull yanked at her body.

She gasped as an intense white light exploded around her, blinding and all-consuming.

The last thing she heard was Daniel shouting her name.

Then—darkness.

---

Selene awoke to warmth.

The bitter cold of the ruins was gone, replaced by the soft embrace of silk beneath her fingertips. The scent of burning incense, leather, and something deeply masculine filled the air.

Her eyelashes fluttered open, and her breath caught in her throat.

This… wasn’t the ruins.

She was lying on a massive canopy bed, the velvet curtains drawn back to reveal an ornately carved ceiling. The flickering glow of candlelight cast shadows on the stone walls, illuminating intricate gold filigree.

Selene’s heart pounded.

Something was very, very wrong.

Before she could react, a deep, velvety voice cut through the air—dangerous, knowing.

"You have finally returned to me, my love."

Her blood ran cold.

Slowly, she turned her head toward the dark figure standing at the foot of the bed.

And the moment their eyes met, everything inside her screamed to run.

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