The night had wrapped the mansion in silence. The moon was hidden behind thick clouds, casting the halls into shadows. Belle lay awake on her bed, unable to rest. Her heart thumped heavily in her chest, as if some unseen voice was calling out to her soul.
Then, the air shifted. The curtains swayed though no breeze should have entered. A whisper, soft and haunting, brushed against her ear.
"Belle…"
She froze. Slowly turning, her breath caught in her throat. Thomas stood there—his figure shimmering faintly like a dream carved in silver mist.
Tears welled in Belle's eyes. "You came again… I thought… maybe tonight you wouldn't."
Thomas's lips curved into a faint smile, though his eyes burned with longing. "I cannot stay away from you. You are the force that even death could not silence."
Her feet moved before her mind could stop them. Step by trembling step, she drew near, lifting her hand toward him. Though her touch would never truly meet his, the closeness alone sent a cold shiver down her veins—a shiver mixed with a strange, overwhelming peace.
"I can't breathe without you, Thomas," Belle whispered, her voice breaking.
"And I…" His voice was deep, almost trembling, "I cannot exist without you."
Time stopped as their souls leaned closer. Belle closed her eyes, and in that fragile moment, she could swear she felt his lips brush against her forehead. It was not real—not solid—but her heart throbbed with the ache of it as if it was.
🌙 Parents' Resolve
Downstairs, Belle's parents sat in the dim drawing room, their faces heavy with worry.
Her mother clenched her hands together. "She's changing. I've seen her sneaking upstairs at night, whispering to someone who isn't there. Something dangerous lingers in that room."
Her father's jaw tightened. "Tomorrow, I'll lock that room. If I must, I'll take her away from this mansion. I won't let my daughter fall into the hands of some shadow."
Her mother nodded gravely. "We're losing her. We must act now."
❤️ Love in Secret
Belle sensed her parents' unease. The next morning, her mother came softly into her room.
"Belle," she said gently, "promise me you won't go near that room again. Stay away from it. For your own good."
Belle forced a smile, her heart aching. "Yes, Mother… I promise."
But inside, her soul whispered fiercely:
"I'm lying. No one can take Thomas away from me."
That night, when the household was fast asleep, Belle slipped quietly out of her room. Her bare feet touched the cold floor as she crept up the stairs. The door opened with a faint creak—
And there he was. Thomas. Waiting.
"I knew you would come," he said softly, his voice carrying warmth despite his ghostly form.
Belle's eyes lit up with a smile both stubborn and tender. "No matter what they say, no matter how they try to stop me—I will always come to you. You are my heart, Thomas."
His form trembled, as if struggling against the fragile boundary between worlds. He reached toward her face, his fingers brushing against strands of her hair like a cold whisper.
"And you," Thomas murmured, his voice thick with longing, "are the answer to a thirst that has lived in me for centuries. No force can tear us apart."
The room filled with silence—an aching, beautiful silence where only two hearts spoke. Human and spirit, bound by love, closer than ever before.
✨ This chapter ends with rising tension:
The parents are determined to separate Belle from Thomas.
Yet Belle and Thomas's secret love grows deeper and more