Opheliana Nightshade’s heart still raced from the weight of Kael Shadowsley’s gaze. His eyes, dark as storm clouds and just as unreadable, had lingered on her for too long to be casual. His voice, velvet and shadow, echoed in her memory.
“I’ve known you forever…”
She’d repeated those words to herself more than once that evening, their strangeness stirring something deep and unsettled within her. How could he say such a thing when they had only just met? Or had they?
The grand ballroom of Evermere Hall sparkled around them—candles in crystal chandeliers, music winding through air heavy with roses and secrets. Guests swirled in silks and velvets, laughter masking the undercurrents of tension Opheliana was just beginning to notice. Kael mingled easily, drawing attention, yet his eyes never stayed far from her. Every glance, every smile, made her breath catch, as if he knew her better than she knew herself.
By midnight, the warmth and noise had grown stifling. Opheliana slipped into the moonlit garden, where cool air kissed her flushed skin. The ancient hedges whispered with wind, and the scent of night jasmine lingered. She hadn’t expected to see Kael follow—but somehow, she wasn’t surprised.
"Opheliana," he said, voice low and close, "may I ask—do you ever feel like something's missing? A part of you... hidden, even from yourself?"
She turned sharply, startled by the precision of his words. "Yes," she whispered. "Always. Like there’s a door in my mind, locked tight. And I’ve never known why."
His gaze sharpened, fierce and aching. “I think I might have the key.”
His gaze sharpened, fierce and aching. “I think I might have the key.”
Before she could speak, the sound of a voice—Mrs. Black, ever watchful—called from the doorway, breaking the spell.
“Opheliana, dear, your guests await!”
She glanced back at Kael, her breath quick. As they walked together toward the house, she dared to whisper, “What do you mean—the key?”
His lips brushed close to her ear. “Meet me at the old windmill, on the outskirts of the estate. Midnight tomorrow. Come alone.”
Her heart thundered. She didn’t speak, just nodded slightly, though doubt and longing tangled inside her.
As they reentered the ballroom, Lyra Shadowsley stood near the fireplace, eyes cold and sharp as flint. Her gaze tracked her son and Opheliana with unsettling focus.
She leaned closer to Mrs. Black, her voice low. “Do you think she suspects anything?"
Mrs. Black’s lips barely moved. “Not yet, Lyra. But Kael’s return complicates everything…”
In that moment, something ancient and buried stirred beneath the surface of Evermere Hall. Opheliana felt it—a tremor in her soul, as if Kael’s presence had unlocked the beginning of something long forgotten. Or perhaps something never meant to be remembered.
And somewhere beyond the hedges and candlelight, the windmill waited.
Ps: enjoy reading, I hope you like it. Thankyouuu<333.mwapsss! Hmmmm.m
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