The night had fallen, and the mansion felt more like a labyrinth than a home. The cold stone walls seemed to hum with an eerie energy, their shadows stretching long as if reaching out to claim everything in their path. Celestia stood at the edge of a balcony, her gaze fixed on the dark expanse beyond, where the world she ruled remained silent, like a beast waiting for the right moment to strike.
Kael stood a few paces behind her, his presence a steady anchor in the storm that raged within her. She could feel the weight of his gaze on her, could sense the pull between them growing stronger with each passing moment. It was maddening, how easily he had wormed his way into her life, into her thoughts. She was supposed to be the one in control—the one who dictated every move, every outcome. But Kael... Kael was different.
He was dangerous.
"Do you regret it?" Kael's voice broke through the silence, low and soft, like a whisper carried on the wind.
Celestia stiffened, her fingers gripping the railing tightly as she stared into the darkness. "Regret what?" she asked, her voice sharper than she intended.
He took a step closer, his movements fluid and silent, like a shadow creeping across the room. "Regret letting me in," he clarified, his voice carrying a weight that she couldn't ignore. "Regret trusting me."
Her heart skipped a beat, and for a moment, the world seemed to blur around her. She turned her head slightly, meeting his gaze over her shoulder. "I don't trust you," she said quickly, her voice cold. "I don't trust anyone."
Kael didn't seem fazed by her words. In fact, there was a small, knowing smile on his lips, one that made something stir deep within her. He knew. He knew exactly how she felt. He could see the cracks she worked so hard to keep hidden from the world. And he wasn't afraid of them.
"Then why are you still here?" she asked, her voice trembling just a fraction despite her best efforts to maintain her composure.
Kael didn't answer immediately. He was standing so close now, his presence surrounding her like an unseen force. The air between them thickened, crackling with an undeniable tension. She could feel the heat of his body, the pulse of his magic just beneath the surface of his skin, and it was making her pulse quicken in a way that both frightened and excited her.
"I'm here because I have a promise to keep," he said finally, his words steady but filled with an intensity that matched hers. "I'm here because I won't let you fall into the darkness alone, Celestia."
Her breath caught in her throat, the words unraveling something deep inside her. She wanted to push him away. She wanted to tell him to leave, to get out of her life before things got even more complicated than they already were. But she couldn't. She couldn't bring herself to do it.
"I'm not some helpless little girl you can save," she spat, her temper flaring despite herself. "I don't need saving."
Kael's smile only deepened, and in his eyes, she saw something that sent a chill down her spine—an understanding, a recognition of the woman she was beneath the cold exterior she had carefully constructed.
"I never said you were," he said, his voice gentle but laced with an intensity that made her heart race. "But you do need someone."
She felt the words like a physical blow, her chest tightening as she struggled to keep her composure. She didn't need anyone. She didn't need anyone but herself. She had spent so many years pushing people away, building walls so high that no one could ever breach them. But Kael... Kael was the first person to see through those walls, and it terrified her.
"You don't know anything about me," she said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.
Kael's expression softened, and for a moment, he seemed to see her—not the queen, not the ruthless mafia empress—but the woman inside. "I know more than you think, Celestia," he said softly. "I know that you're afraid. Afraid of what you've become, afraid of what you might lose."
Her breath caught, her hand gripping the railing even tighter. She wanted to say something—anything—to deny the truth in his words, but she couldn't. She couldn't lie to him. She couldn't lie to herself.
"You're wrong," she whispered, her voice trembling despite her best efforts. "I'm not afraid."
Kael took another step closer, his presence overwhelming her senses. "Then why are you trembling?" he asked, his voice low and full of something dangerous. "Why are you so terrified of this?"
Before she could respond, his hand reached out, fingers brushing the side of her face with a tenderness that sent a jolt of electricity through her entire body. She froze, every muscle in her body locking in place at the touch.
Kael's gaze held hers, and in that moment, Celestia felt something inside her snap. The walls she had spent so long building—walls of ice and fury, walls that had kept her safe—began to crack. Slowly. Reluctantly.
She wanted to pull away. She wanted to push him out of her life and never look back. But something about him—the way he looked at her, the way he saw her, the way he didn't flinch when the darkness inside her threatened to consume them both—it made her want to let go.
"Kael," she whispered, her voice strained. "Stop."
But he didn't. He didn't stop. He couldn't. And she couldn't bring herself to make him.
The night air grew thicker, wrapping around them like a heavy cloak, making the moment feel heavier than it already was. Kael's touch lingered on her skin, his fingers grazing her cheek as though he were afraid she might vanish into the darkness at any moment. The connection between them seemed almost too intense—too real—for either of them to ignore.
Celestia stood still, barely able to breathe under the weight of the unspoken words hanging between them. She had never allowed anyone to get this close, never let anyone see the cracks in her armor. But Kael—damn him—had done it with nothing more than a gaze, a touch, and a promise. And now, she was standing on the edge of something she couldn't escape.
His hand slid down her neck slowly, as though savoring the moment. His touch was gentle, almost reverent, but there was a fire burning behind his eyes—something darker, something possessive. Celestia could feel it. She could feel him wanting to claim her, wanting to break her, and yet, there was no fear. No resistance.
She felt a spark of defiance rise within her. "What do you want from me?" Her voice cracked as the words escaped her lips, and she cursed herself for the weakness.
Kael didn't answer immediately. He simply stepped closer, his breath hot against her skin. "I want to understand you," he said, his voice low and velvety. "I want to know the woman who hides behind the queen, the woman who's been buried beneath all that ice and fury."
Ice and fury. Those words were a slap to her face, the truth she refused to acknowledge. She had been hiding behind her power for so long, burying her fear and pain beneath the weight of her throne. She had built walls, stacked them high, until she thought no one could ever breach them. But Kael had found a way in. And now, it seemed, she was helpless to stop him.
"I don't need saving," she snapped, her pride flaring up despite the vulnerability creeping into her chest.
Kael smirked, the dark glint in his eyes only deepening. "I never said you needed saving, Celestia," he whispered, his lips brushing her ear. "But there's more to you than you realize. More than you want to admit. And I can feel it—your magic, your power. It's in you. It's a part of you. And I'm here to help you unlock it."
Her pulse quickened. Kael's words rang in her ears, echoing with a truth she hadn't wanted to face. The curse that had bound her for centuries—her transformation, her magic, her very soul—was more than just a burden. It was a part of her. And Kael… Kael wanted to unlock it.
"You think you can break me?" Celestia hissed, her voice sharp as a blade. "You think you can control me with your magic?"
Kael's lips curved into a slow, dangerous smile. "No. I don't want to control you, Celestia. I want to free you. But first, you have to let me in."
Celestia's heart skipped a beat. Her body stiffened, every muscle tense as she stared at him, unable to look away. She wanted to shove him away, to push him back, to reclaim her power. But she knew—deep down—that it was too late. She had already let him in.
His fingers moved to the nape of her neck, his touch sending an involuntary shiver down her spine. "Let me in," he repeated, his voice insistent now. "Let me show you what you really are."
Before she could protest, Kael's other hand reached up, and with a flick of his wrist, a stream of magic shot out, wrapping around her like a coil of fire. Celestia gasped as a surge of energy shot through her, her body locking up as if a spell had been cast. Her breath caught in her throat as she felt her very essence being pulled and twisted by his magic.
"No!" she hissed, trying to fight it, trying to push against him. But the magic was too powerful. It was inside her now, binding her, consuming her.
Kael's expression remained calm, almost serene, as though he were watching her struggle for his own amusement. "It's not just about control," he said softly, his voice a dark promise. "It's about understanding. You can't run from this, Celestia. You can't outrun who you really are. You're more than just the queen of a broken empire. You're the fox spirit who's been cursed for centuries."
The words hit her like a blow to the chest. She had never allowed herself to believe in the myth, in the idea that she was some kind of cursed creature. But Kael's magic was digging into her, pulling out the buried memories, the forgotten truths. She saw flashes—visions of her past life, of the woman she used to be before she was trapped in this form.
"You can't hide from yourself forever," Kael murmured, his voice a hypnotic cadence as his magic wrapped tighter around her.
The sensation was overwhelming. The world around her spun as the magic pulled her into another place, another time. Her heart hammered in her chest as memories—vivid and horrifying—began to flood her mind.
A vast, endless forest. A fox with eyes like fire. The sound of running, of hunting, of bloodshed.
Celestia gasped, her vision blurring as she struggled to make sense of it. She felt as though she were losing herself, slipping into the past, into the curse that had bound her for so long.
"Kael—stop!" she cried, her voice breaking, but her words were swallowed by the magic that surrounded her.
Kael's eyes softened, but his grip on her didn't loosen. "You're not broken, Celestia. You're just… lost."
And in that moment, with the weight of his magic and the pull of her past, Celestia realized she was at the mercy of something far greater than her own will.
"Let me help you," Kael whispered, his lips brushing against her ear as the spell continued to tighten its hold on her.
The darkness was closing in. And this time, there was no escaping it.