Chapter 7: The Monster’s Cage

Elysia couldn’t sleep.

The weight of Ephraim’s words pressed down on her like an iron shackle. Those who tried to love him perished. The thought sent a shiver down her spine.

Yet, despite the warning, she found herself drawn to Kael like a moth to a flame.

The castle was eerily silent as she slipped out of her chambers. The torches lining the hallways flickered with an unnatural blue flame, casting eerie shadows against the stone walls. She wasn’t sure where she was going, only that her feet carried her forward, deeper into the heart of the castle.

The whispers had returned, soft and insistent.

"He is bound in chains unseen."

"A prisoner of his own fate."

"You cannot save him."

Elysia clenched her fists, forcing herself to ignore them.

She rounded a corner and came to an abrupt halt.

At the end of the corridor stood a massive set of iron doors, ancient and carved with symbols she didn’t recognize. They pulsed faintly, as though alive. Something about them sent a chill through her veins.

And yet… she stepped closer.

The moment her fingers brushed the cold metal, a voice shattered the silence.

"You shouldn’t be here."

Elysia spun around, her pulse racing.

Kael stood a few feet away, his silver hair illuminated by the ghostly light of the torches. His expression was unreadable, but there was something dangerous in the way he watched her.

"You keep telling me that," she said, masking her nervousness.

"Because you keep finding yourself in places you shouldn’t be."

Elysia glanced at the iron doors. "What’s behind them?"

Kael’s gaze darkened. "Nothing that concerns you."

Her lips pressed into a thin line. "Then why does the castle whisper about it?"

Kael exhaled sharply, stepping closer until she could feel the quiet power radiating from him. "The castle is old. It remembers things better left forgotten."

"Like your curse?" she pressed.

His jaw tightened, but he didn’t deny it.

"Let me see what’s inside," she said.

Kael’s expression turned unreadable. "You think you want the truth, little flame. But I promise you, you do not."

"Then prove me wrong."

For a moment, silence stretched between them.

Then, without a word, Kael raised his hand and placed it against the iron doors.

The symbols flared to life, glowing a deep crimson before the doors groaned open.

A gust of cold air rushed past her, sending chills across her skin.

Elysia took a hesitant step forward, her breath catching as she took in the room beyond.

It was a vast chamber, its walls covered in intricate chains that pulsed with the same eerie light as the doors. In the center of the room stood a pedestal, and atop it rested a dark, jagged crystal.

But what made her stomach drop was the sight of the chains.

They weren’t just embedded in the walls.

They stretched outward, wrapping around an invisible figure—binding something unseen.

Elysia could feel it.

A presence.

Dark. Ancient. Watching.

A shiver ran down her spine. "What is this?"

Kael’s voice was quiet. "My cage."

She turned to look at him, expecting his usual cold composure.

Instead, she saw something she had never seen before.

Vulnerability.

Elysia swallowed. "You’re trapped here?"

Kael’s lips curled slightly, but there was no amusement in it. "In more ways than one."

Her gaze flickered back to the unseen chains. "Is this why you can’t leave?"

Kael hesitated, then nodded. "The moment I step beyond these walls, the curse will consume me. The castle is the only thing keeping it at bay."

Elysia’s heart pounded. "And the others? The ones before me? They—"

"Wanted to save me," Kael interrupted, his voice distant. "And they paid the price for their kindness."

A lump formed in her throat. "What happened to them?"

Kael’s expression darkened. "They withered away, their life force drained by the curse that binds me."

Elysia felt a pang of something she couldn’t name. "And yet, you keep taking humans."

His gaze met hers, something unreadable flickering in his eyes. "I do not take them. They are given to me. And I warn them. Every single one."

"But they don’t listen," she whispered.

Kael didn’t respond.

Elysia exhaled shakily, turning back to the invisible chains. "What if there’s a way to break it?"

Kael let out a quiet chuckle, but there was no humor in it. "And what makes you think you’ll succeed where others have failed?"

She looked at him then, meeting his gaze with unwavering determination.

"Because I’m not afraid of you."

Kael stared at her for a long moment, something unreadable passing through his expression.

Then, so softly she almost didn’t hear it, he whispered—

"Then you’re a fool, little flame."

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***