Yuto made her way back, her mind was tangled with thoughts of departure. She did not want to remain in Kaelith's palace any longer.
So lost was she in her thoughts that she failed to notice where her feet had carried her—until she stood before the forbidden wing of the palace.
She tilted her head to the side, torn between retreating and moving forward.
She did not wish to earn Kaelith's displeasure, yet curiosity gnawed at her. Yuto had always been drawn to the unknown.
Fear rose alongside that curiosity, quickening her breath.
I'll just take a look, she told herself. Only for a moment. Maybe there's nothing there at all.
Reassured, Yuto stepped forward.
Deadly silence enveloped her. Though daylight still poured through the palace windows, this part of the hall seemed dimmer—shadows clinging stubbornly to the walls.
As she neared the first chamber, her heart hammered violently against her chest.
Suddenly, a hand clamped onto her shoulder.
Yuto gasped and leapt back, instinctively gripping the hilt of her sword.
A deep laugh echoed through the corridor, slicing through the silence.
Before her stood a tall, lean man whose presence cut through the air like a blade. His hands were clasped behind his back, posture immaculate—royal, lethal. For a heartbeat, Yuto forgot how to breathe. His hair was slicked back with deliberate precision, and the way he stood demanded obedience.
Those eyes…
They lingered on her as though she were prey that had wandered willingly into his snare.
"I apologize, Your Highness, for the intrusion," Yuto said quickly, bowing just enough to show respect without submission. "I seem to have lost my way."
Her voice was steady, though her pulse betrayed her.
"I would deeply appreciate it if you could point me toward the guest residence."
The prince tilted his head slowly, studying her with open fascination. A smile curved his lips—unsettling, sharp, intimate in the worst way. His eyes were the same shade as Kaelith's, yet where the king's gaze was cold and distant, this one burned with cruel amusement.
Prince Kayden.
Whispers of his name crawled through the kingdom like poison. Kaelith's younger brother. A child when their parents were slaughtered. A monster raised in shadows—who spent gold as easily as blood, who watched men kill each other for sport and called it entertainment.
Mischief glittered in his gaze as he took a step closer.
"Interesting," he murmured.
Yuto's spine stiffened as she stepped back, instinct screaming at her to run.
"Very interesting indeed."
A chill crept beneath her skin.
He's enjoying this, she realized. Me.
She forced a bright, harmless smile. "On second thought, I believe I can find my way. Excuse me, Your Highness."
She bowed and moved to pass him.
He blocked her path effortlessly.
Slowly, deliberately, Kayden raised a finger and pointed behind her—toward the deepest, darkest stretch of the forbidden wing.
"If you take that route," he said softly, "and turn left at the end of the corridor, I trust you'll arrive safely."
His tone made her skin crawl.
Yuto let out a nervous laugh. Safely? The word felt like a lie wrapped in silk.
That's the heart of the forbidden wing, she thought. He's sending me to my grave.
She cleared her throat and gestured in the opposite direction. "Ah… I just remembered. I believe it's actually that way."
For a fraction of a second, his smile faltered.
Then the air changed.
A sharp ache twisted in her stomach, her instincts screaming danger. Kayden's eyes narrowed, the amusement draining away to reveal something far more frightening.
"Are you calling me a liar?" he asked quietly. "I, Prince Kayden… a liar?"
Yuto shook her head at once. "Of course not."
"Then go on," he urged, his voice smooth, coercive.
"But—"
The word died in her throat.
The corridor seemed to close in around her, an invisible pressure bearing down on her chest. It felt as though unseen hands were gripping her shoulders, forcing her forward.
She swallowed hard and smiled again—false, brittle. "Thank you for the directions. If you'll excuse me."
Turning away, Yuto followed the path he had chosen for her.
She dared one glance back.
Prince Kayden stood exactly where she had left him, unmoving, unblinking—his gaze locked onto her retreating form. Only the hem of his robes stirred in the wind, like a predator's tail swaying in anticipation.
Yuto faced forward, her steps slow, her heartbeat thunderous.
Please… let someone appear, she prayed.
Every instinct told her that something terrible waited at the end of that corridor.
"YUTO!!!"