Aeliana leaned back against the jagged cavern wall, her stomach finally full. The warmth of the fire and the food settled her frazzled nerves, but as she swallowed her last bite, a sharp cough escaped her throat.
She coughed again, the sudden dryness in her throat making her wince. Before she could recover, a bottle of water appeared in front of her, held out by Luca’s steady hand.
Her amber eyes darted to his face, then back to the bottle.
“This…” she said slowly, her voice rough, “do you have another one?”
Luca’s brow arched, the corner of his mouth curling into an amused smirk. “What if I don’t?” he asked, his tone laced with teasing.
Her scowl deepened, her fists clenching as her pride flared. “How can you expect me to drink from that? I can’t put my lips where someone else’s have been!”
His smirk widened into a full grin, his dark eyes gleaming with playful mischief. “Ah, I see. Personal boundaries, is it?”
Aeliana flushed, the heat of both embarrassment and irritation creeping up her neck. “It’s good for you too!” she snapped, her voice trembling with indignation.
“For me?” Luca asked, tilting his head slightly as though genuinely intrigued. “Why’s that?”
Her face burned hotter, and she stammered, struggling to piece together a coherent response. “Th-that…”
“Because you’re sick?” he offered, his tone softening, though the teasing edge lingered.
Aeliana froze, her breath hitching as the words struck her. Her amber eyes widened, and her hands gripped her knees tightly.
“If you know, why are you asking?” she hissed, her voice sharp but trembling.
“Just wanted to confirm,” Luca replied, his gaze steady and disarmingly calm. His voice dropped slightly, his tone losing its playful edge. “Is that why you’re hiding those marks? Are they because of your illness… or are they because you’re cursed?”
The word marks landed like a blow, her entire body stiffening in response.
Her mind raced, a flood of memories surging forward unbidden—the wiry man’s sneer, the way his mocking gaze lingered on her exposed skin, the disgust that flickered in every face she had ever seen when they looked at her.
‘No…’
Her breath quickened, panic clawing at her chest. Images overlapped in her mind: the horrified stares, the whispered remarks, the way people recoiled from her as though she were some grotesque thing.
‘Disgusting.’
‘She’s not even human anymore.’
‘Cursed.’
Her vision blurred, the cavern fading as the weight of their gazes suffocated her. The world began to spin, the edges of her vision darkening as the memories clawed their way to the surface. The mocking laughter, the judgmental gazes, and the whispered words of revulsion echoed in her mind, growing louder with each passing moment.
Her breath came in shallow gasps, her chest tightening painfully.
‘Why now? Why does it always come back to this?’
Her hands gripped her knees tightly, her nails biting into her skin as she tried to steady herself. But the weight of her self-loathing was too much, dragging her down like an anchor.
‘They were right,’ she thought bitterly, her head bowing as her body trembled. ‘I’m disgusting. A freak. I don’t belong anywhere.’
The cavern seemed to blur and warp around her, the warmth of the fire fading as the cold, suffocating weight of her memories took over.
“—y!”
A distant sound cut through the haze, but it was muffled, distorted.
“-EY!”
Her eyes snapped open, the harsh sound jolting her back to the present. Blinking rapidly, she realized Luca was crouched in front of her, his dark eyes locked onto hers.
“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice sharper now, all traces of teasing gone.
His gaze was steady, piercing through her turmoil with an intensity that made her heart lurch. He didn’t move, didn’t touch her, but his presence was grounding, anchoring her to reality.
For a moment, she froze, staring at him as though trying to piece together how he had gotten so close without her noticing.
But then the weight of his question registered, and the panic surged again.
‘He knows,’ she thought, her mind racing. ‘He saw. He must’ve seen… he must think—’
Before he could speak again, she pushed him. Her hands shot out, shoving him back with all the force her trembling arms could muster.
“Don’t!” she shouted, her voice cracking as she scrambled to her feet, backing away from him. Her chest heaved as she glared at him, her amber eyes blazing with a mix of fear and anger. “Don’t come near me!”
Luca stumbled slightly but didn’t retaliate. Instead, he stood slowly, brushing off his coat as he studied her with an unreadable expression.
“I wasn’t trying to hurt you,” he said calmly, his voice measured and steady.
“You’re lying!” Aeliana snapped, her fists clenched tightly at her sides. Her body trembled with the effort of holding herself together, the storm of emotions threatening to overwhelm her. “You’re just like the rest of them. You think I’m disgusting, don’t you?”
His brow furrowed slightly, his dark eyes narrowing. “What are you talking about?”
“You saw them, didn’t you?!” she yelled, her voice rising. “The marks. You think I’m cursed. You think I’m some kind of monster!”
Luca’s expression didn’t change, but there was a flicker of something in his gaze—confusion? Concern?
Luca stood still for a moment, his dark eyes locked onto hers, unreadable but steady. Then, a faint smile tugged at his lips, though it wasn’t the teasing smirk she was used to. This one was softer, more thoughtful.
“Monster…” he said, his voice low but clear. “That’s not a word one should speak of lightly.”
Aeliana’s breath hitched, her body tensing as his words cut through the air.
He took a step toward her.
“No,” she whispered sharply, stepping back instinctively, her movements unsteady.
Luca tilted his head slightly, his gaze unwavering as he studied her. “I don’t think you’re a monster,” he said calmly, the sincerity in his tone unsettling.
Her heart pounded, her legs trembling as she tried to hold her ground. But as he took another deliberate step forward, the pressure became too much. Her knees buckled, and she fell onto her hips, her hands flying back to brace herself against the cold, jagged ground.
“You’re lying,” she shouted, her voice cracking as she scrambled to slide back, her amber eyes wide with panic. “You’re just saying that!”
“I’m not,” Luca replied, his voice quiet but firm.
He took another step, his presence towering over her.
“Stay back!” Aeliana screamed, her voice raw with desperation as she pressed herself against the cavern wall, her movements frantic. “You are just lying like everyone else!”
But Luca didn’t stop. He crouched down slowly, his movements measured, and leaned just close enough that his shadow fell over her trembling form.
Her breath came in ragged gasps as she tried to back away further, but the wall behind her offered no escape. Her insides twisted in turmoil, the echoes of past judgment and self-loathing colliding with the calm certainty in Luca’s gaze.
“I’m not lying,” he said softly, his voice gentle yet unyielding. “And I’m not like them.”
Aeliana’s trembling form pressed tighter against the jagged wall as Luca’s calm words cut through the silence. But his assurances, his steady gaze, only stirred a deeper storm within her.
“No,” she spat, her voice hoarse but defiant. “You’re lying. You’re just like the rest of them.”
Luca tilted his head slightly, his expression calm, patient. “The rest of who?” he asked softly.
Aeliana’s chest heaved as she glared at him, her amber eyes blazing with anger and despair. “The people who said the same thing,” she snapped, her voice trembling with raw emotion. “All of them—at the start—they all said the same thing.”
Her fists clenched tightly at her sides, nails digging into her palms as the memories clawed their way to the surface.
“‘Lady Aeliana,'” she hissed bitterly, her voice mocking as she mimicked the sickly sweet tone that haunted her. “‘We don’t think you’re a monster.'”
She laughed, but the sound was hollow, sharp, and pained. ‘Do you know how many times I’ve heard that? How many people came to me with smiles and words of reassurance? Dozens. Hundreds. And do you know how many stayed?’
Her gaze locked onto his, fierce and unyielding despite the tears threatening to spill over. ‘None.’
‘They only came to me because of my title. The heiress of the great Dukedom, Aeliana Thaddeus. They all wanted something—power, status, wealth. But when they saw the truth…’
Aeliana’s breath was shaky, her mind spiraling as she thought of all the faces, all the voices that once surrounded her. Each one started with hope, false assurances, and soft-spoken lies.
‘We don’t think you’re a monster.’
But when the veil came off, when the truth was laid bare, their reactions always changed. No matter how sweet their words, disgust would creep into their eyes, followed swiftly by excuses, silence, and, eventually, abandonment.
Her fists clenched tighter, her nails digging into her palms. She raised her head slowly, her amber eyes locking onto Luca’s with fierce determination.
‘That’s why you’re no different,’ she thought, her jaw tightening.
But Luca, unflinching under her glare, took a deliberate step forward.
“Why should I be the same as other people?” he asked, his voice light yet steady. “I’m a pretty unique guy, you know?”