Chapter 3: Unraveling Secrets

Silence stretched between us like a taut rope, ready to snap at any moment. Damien stood by the window, his figure framed by the pale glow of daylight. His gaze stayed fixed on the world beyond, as if it held the answers to questions I hadn’t asked yet.

But I wasn’t going to wait for him to offer explanations.

Me: “If you think I’m going to leave quietly, you don’t know me at all, Damien.”

He didn’t move, didn’t even glance back. His stillness only fueled my frustration. I took a step forward, my heart hammering in my chest.

Me: “I deserve to know what happened. Why they took me. Why you let them.”

His head tilted slightly, finally acknowledging me.

Damien: “Let them?” His voice was low, dangerous. “Is that what you think happened?”

I blinked, unsure of how to respond.

Me: “You didn’t stop them.”

He turned then, his eyes sharper than broken glass.

Damien: “Because I was a kid, Amara. Just like you.” He took slow, deliberate steps toward me. “They didn’t ask me for permission. They didn’t care what I thought.”

Me: “But you’re not a kid now,” I said, meeting his gaze with a strength I wasn’t sure I had. “You have power. Control. So tell me, what’s stopping you from telling me the truth?”

His jaw clenched, his eyes flickering with something I couldn’t name. Anger? Guilt? Regret?

Damien: “You think you want the truth, but you don’t.”

Me: “Don’t tell me what I want.” My voice shook, but I forced myself to stay firm. “I came back here for a reason, Damien. I’m not leaving without it.”

We stood there, locked in a silent standoff, both of us too stubborn to back down.

Damien: “Fine.” His voice was ice, sharp and unforgiving. “You want the truth? Here it is—our family isn’t what you remember. It never was.”

My heart dropped.

Me: “What do you mean?”

He ran a hand through his hair, letting out a harsh laugh.

Damien: “You think we were some happy little family torn apart by bad luck? No, Amara. We were built on rot. Lies. Blood.”

The weight of his words crashed down on me like a tidal wave.

Me: “You’re lying.”

Damien: “Am I?” He raised an eyebrow, his eyes narrowing. “Tell me, do you even remember Father’s face? Or have you just been clinging to the story you made up in your head?”

I opened my mouth to argue, but the words got caught in my throat. Flashes of memories flickered—Father’s voice calling my name, his back always turned, the shadowy figure that never quite felt whole.

Me: “That doesn’t mean anything.”

Damien: “It means everything.” He stepped closer, his gaze unrelenting. “You’ve been chasing ghosts, Amara. But ghosts don’t answer questions.”

I shook my head, trying to clear the fog his words left behind.

Me: “If everything was so broken, why send for me? Why bring me back here?”

His eyes darkened, his smile more like a warning than an expression of kindness.

Damien: “Because you’re a part of it now. Whether you like it or not.”

The air felt heavier, suffocating, as if the walls themselves were closing in.

Me: “A part of what?”

His eyes locked onto mine, unwavering.

Damien: “The empire, Amara. Our empire.”

My breath caught in my chest.

Me: “No… I’m not part of that.”

Damien: “You already are,” he said softly, like it was a fact, not a threat. “You never had a choice.”

His words echoed in my mind, each syllable a chain pulling me down. I didn’t want this. I didn’t want to be part of whatever darkness surrounded him. But deep down, I knew it wasn’t that simple.

I had stepped into this house thinking I was searching for answers. I didn’t realize I’d be dragged into something far more dangerous.

And Damien… Damien wasn’t going to let me go.

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