Episode 6

Zera woke to the sound of faint music drifting through the mansion. It was soft, haunting… like a memory wrapped in velvet. She sat up slowly, her fingers brushing the cool silk sheets. Another day in this golden cage.

She walked out to the hallway barefoot, drawn toward the melody. Her steps were cautious, like her heart. Down the marble staircase, the soft notes became clearer. A piano. 🎹

She followed the sound until she reached a room she hadn’t seen before. The door was slightly ajar. Inside, Ares sat at a grand piano, his fingers dancing over the keys with unexpected gentleness.

Zera froze. This side of him—raw, vulnerable, human—felt like a secret she wasn’t supposed to see.

Before she could retreat, his voice broke the silence.

“Do you always spy on people, Mrs. King?”

Zera stepped in. “Do you always play like the world isn’t watching you bleed?”

Ares chuckled, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

“This world doesn’t care if I bleed.”

Zera leaned against the wall, arms crossed. “Maybe it should.”

He stopped playing. The silence that followed felt too loud.

“Sit,” he said, gesturing to the chair beside him.

“Why?”

“Because I asked.”

She hesitated, then sat. The air between them was thick with tension, the kind that wasn’t just anger or fear. It was… something else.

He turned to her. “What do you see when you look at me?”

Zera’s throat tightened. She didn’t expect that question.

“A man who pretends not to care. But deep down, you care too much.”

Ares blinked, stunned for a moment. “Dangerous answer.”

“So punish me,” she challenged.

He stood up, walked over, and stopped just inches away. His hand reached out—slowly—and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. His fingers brushed her cheek, and the touch sent shivers down her spine. 💔🔥

“You think I won’t?” he whispered.

Zera’s breath hitched. “I think you won’t hurt me… even if you want to.”

Something flickered in his eyes. Maybe guilt. Maybe desire. Maybe both.

But then he stepped back.

“I have enemies who would tear you apart just to get to me,” he said. “Don’t make me care, Zera. It’s safer for both of us.”

Zera stood too. Her voice was low.

“Maybe I don’t want safe anymore.”

For a heartbeat, the world stopped. Two broken people, standing in the ruins of everything they once believed.

🌫️ Ares turned away, voice colder. “Go back to your room. This world doesn’t give second chances.”

Zera didn’t move.

“Then I’ll take the first one… and make it count.”

Without waiting for permission, she walked past him, brushing against his shoulder. Her defiance was her armor, her fire a beacon in his darkness.