VALERIA

I sat up immediately, pressing myself against the intricate steel headboard carved with black roses and leaves, imitating a dark garden.

My legs were pulled protectively against my chest.

The clinking of the heavy chain echoed in the room, as did his approaching footsteps at the edge of the immense bed.

I looked at him with a mix of fear and unease as his features became clearer: ebony-black hair, blood-red eyes, and that cynical smile on his refined lips.

"What do you want from me?" I managed to say, swallowing hard and trying to hide the trembling in my hands and voice.

He sat down calmly beside me, brushing aside the long black coat with golden embroidery.

"I think you know very well what I want from you. It’s incredible that you managed to hide all these years," he said, studying me curiously. His hand suddenly reached for my chin, and no matter how much I wanted to escape his strong grip, I couldn’t. "How did you do it?"

I wanted to defend myself, to summon all my power,