The mansion was drowned in silence. The storm outside had calmed, but within Belle's chest, a different storm raged. Every word Thomas had spoken still echoed in her mind, wrapping her heart in sorrow and tenderness.
She looked at him—half spirit, half memory—yet more real than anyone she had ever known. His pain was raw, but his presence… intoxicating.
"Thomas," she whispered, stepping closer though her feet trembled. "You… waited all these years, trapped, alone. And now—why me?"
Thomas's eyes, deep as the ocean at midnight, glowed faintly. He answered softly, his voice like velvet:
"Because you are the only one who hears me. The only one whose soul calls mine. Belle… you are the heartbeat I lost centuries ago."
Belle's breath caught. She wanted to deny it, but every night, every dream, every touch she thought was only in her imagination—was him.
He moved closer, his form shimmering like moonlight. Though his hand could not truly touch her skin, Belle felt the warmth of his longing brushing her cheek. Her knees weakened, and she closed her eyes as if surrendering to the pull between them.
🌑 A Forbidden Touch
Thomas whispered, almost trembling:
"I am nothing but a shadow… yet you make me feel alive."
Belle shivered. "And you make me feel… as if I've known you forever."
He bent close, his lips brushing the air near hers. Belle's body burned with a strange fire—her heart screaming that she wanted this, needed this, even if he wasn't of this world.
And then it happened. For a fleeting moment, the veil between worlds thinned. His lips touched hers—not air, not imagination—but real, burning, desperate. Belle gasped against him, her soul trembling as if lightning had struck her veins.
It was a kiss of centuries. His grief, his passion, his unspoken love—all poured into her. Belle clung to him, though she knew her arms held nothing but a fading shadow.
⚡ The Pull of Destiny
When the kiss broke, Belle's tears streamed down. "Thomas… this can't be. You are not alive… and I—"
He pressed a finger to her lips, though it passed like mist. "Do not say it. I do not need life, Belle. I only need you."
But even as he said it, the candle flames flickered violently, the room's air growing heavy. A dark whisper swept through the attic, a force colder and sharper than Thomas himself.
Belle's heart raced. She realized—Thomas was not the only spirit tied to this house. Something else, something darker, had awakened.
Thomas turned sharply, his jaw tightening. "No… now"
Belle clutched her chest ۔ Fear twisted of longing۔ she knew __ this was only the beginning
"End of Chapter 14"🖤🖇۔