The first thing Aria felt… was pain.
Not just a simple ache—but a sharp, splitting agony that tore through her head like glass shattering inside her mind. It pulsed again and again, as if her brain was desperately trying to remember something… something important.
But there was nothing.
Only darkness.
Her fingers trembled weakly against the cold hospital sheets. The smell of antiseptic filled her lungs, unfamiliar yet suffocating. Machines beeped softly somewhere near her, each sound echoing louder than it should.
Where… am I?
The question formed slowly, like a whisper lost in emptiness.
Her eyelids fluttered open.
Blinding white light flooded her vision, forcing her to squint. Everything felt distant, unreal—like she was looking at the world through someone else's eyes.
The ceiling above her was plain. White.
Too white.
Too empty.
Her chest tightened.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
She tried to move, but her body felt heavy, like it didn't belong to her. A wave of dizziness crashed over her instantly, making her gasp softly.
"Don't move."
A deep voice cut through the silence.
Cold.
Calm.
Dangerous.
Aria froze.
Her heart skipped.
Slowly—almost hesitantly—her eyes shifted toward the source of that voice.
And then…
She saw him.
A man stood near the window, his figure half-hidden in shadows. The faint evening light traced the sharp lines of his face, casting dark angles across his expression.
Tall. Broad shoulders. Still.
Too still.
He looked like someone carved out of darkness itself.
For a moment, Aria forgot how to breathe.
There was something about him…
Something that made her heart race without reason.
"Who… are you?" she whispered, her voice fragile, almost breaking.
The man didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he watched her.
Silently.
His gaze was intense—too intense—like he was searching for something inside her eyes.
Or maybe…
Confirming something.
Aria swallowed nervously. "Where am I…? What happened to me?"
Still no answer.
Her fear slowly began to rise.
"Why aren't you saying anything?" she asked, her voice trembling now. "Do I… know you?"
That question seemed to trigger something.
The man finally moved.
One step.
Then another.
Each step was slow, deliberate, echoing softly in the quiet room.
Aria's heartbeat quickened.
Her instincts screamed at her to be careful.
To run.
But she couldn't move.
She was trapped.
He stopped right beside her bed.
Now that he was closer, she could see him clearly.
Dark eyes.
Sharp features.
A face that held no warmth… yet was impossibly captivating.
Dangerously beautiful.
But his eyes—
There was something in them.
Something dark.
Something that made her feel like prey.
"I was wondering when you'd wake up," he finally said.
His voice was low, controlled.
Too controlled.
Aria frowned slightly. "You still didn't answer me…"
Her fingers clenched the bedsheet tightly.
"Who are you?"
Silence stretched between them again.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
Then suddenly—
He leaned closer.
Too close.
Aria's breath hitched.
She could feel his presence now… overwhelming, suffocating, consuming.
And then—
He spoke.
"I'm your husband."
…
Everything stopped.
Her thoughts.
Her breathing.
Her world.
Husband?
The word echoed in her head again and again.
No.
That wasn't possible.
"I…" her lips trembled, her voice barely forming words. "I don't remember… anything."
Panic surged through her chest.
"I don't even know who I am!"
The man's expression didn't change.
Not even a little.
"I know."
Those two words felt like ice.
Aria shook her head weakly. "No… no, this doesn't make sense. You're lying."
She wanted to believe that.
She needed to believe that.
Because the alternative—
Was terrifying.
But instead of getting angry…
The man reached out.
His fingers gently—but firmly—gripped her chin, forcing her to look directly into his eyes.
"Look at me, Aria."
Her body stiffened instantly.
Her name.
He knew her name.
"How do you—"
"You belong to me."
His voice dropped lower.
Colder.
"And I don't like repeating myself."
A chill ran down her spine.
Something inside her screamed that this was wrong.
That this man—
Was dangerous.
But at the same time…
There was a strange pull.
An unexplainable feeling.
As if somewhere, deep inside—
She knew him.
But how?
Before she could react—
The door burst open.
A nurse rushed in, slightly out of breath.
"Sir, we've checked the reports—"
She stopped suddenly when she noticed Aria awake.
"Oh! You're conscious!"
Relief filled her face as she quickly moved closer.
"How are you feeling? Can you hear me clearly?"
But Aria couldn't answer.
Her eyes were still locked on the man beside her.
The man who claimed to be her husband.
The man who felt like both—
Her only protection…
And her biggest threat.
The nurse continued speaking, checking her pulse, adjusting the IV, explaining things—
But none of it reached Aria.
Because her mind was stuck on one question.
Who is he?
After a moment, the nurse hesitated before speaking again.
"There's something else…" she said carefully, glancing at the man.
"You had a severe head injury. It caused memory loss."
Aria's heart dropped.
Memory… loss?
"Yes," the nurse confirmed gently. "You may not remember your past for a while… or longer."
The room suddenly felt colder.
Empty.
So it was true.
She had nothing.
No memories.
No identity.
Nothing.
Her gaze slowly shifted back to the man.
Rowan.
That's what the nurse had called him earlier.
Her… husband.
"Is he really…?" she whispered, her voice breaking.
The nurse nodded softly. "He brought you here himself. He hasn't left your side since."
Aria's chest tightened.
Her eyes moved back to Rowan.
He stood there, silent, unreadable.
Watching her.
Always watching.
Why?
Why did it feel like something was wrong?
Why did her heart refuse to trust him… even when she had no reason not to?
Rowan stepped forward again.
His shadow fell over her.
"Rest," he said calmly.
"You'll be coming home with me soon."
Home.
The word felt unfamiliar.
Like something she had never known.
Aria closed her eyes slowly.
Exhaustion pulled her down again.
But this time…
Her sleep wasn't empty.
Flashes.
Broken images.
A voice.
A different voice.
Soft… yet chilling.
"Aria…"
Her brows furrowed slightly in her sleep.
"…you promised."
Who…?
A shadow appeared.
Closer.
Darker.
"Don't forget me."
Suddenly—
Her eyes snapped open.
Her breathing quickened.
Fear gripped her heart.
But the room was quiet again.
Empty.
Only Rowan stood there.
Watching.
Always watching.
Far away—
In the deepest part of the city—
A man sat in darkness.
His fingers tapping slowly against the armrest of his chair.
A screen glowed faintly before him.
Displaying one image.
Aria.
Unconscious… then awake.
Every moment recorded.
His lips curved into a slow, dangerous smile.
"So… you woke up."
His voice was soft.
But deadly.
"Did you forget me, Aria?"
His eyes darkened.
A dangerous obsession flickered within them.
"Good."
He leaned back, completely relaxed.
"Because I never forgot you."
A pause.
Then—
A quiet laugh echoed in the darkness.
"Run all you want, Rowan…"
"Let her play house with you for now."
His smile widened.
Cold.
Terrifying.
"Because in the end—"
"She will come back to me."You can hide her for now, Rowan…"
"But the truth won't stay buried forever."
"The moment she remembers who she really is—"
"She will come back to me."