The night air was cold, but Alana's chest burned with anger.
She stood in front of the large iron gates that had now become the new boundary of her life.
A magnificent mansion stood in the middle of the forest on the outskirts of the city, guarded by many men in black uniforms.
"Do you think I don't realize this is a prison, Alaska?" Alana's voice trembled as she held back her emotions.
"A prison doesn't have gardens this big," Alaska replied calmly, slipping his hands into his pants pockets. "I'm just making sure you're safe."
"Safe or trapped?" Alana stared at him sharply. "You call this protection, but all you've done is take someone else's freedom."
Alaska looked at her for a long moment. His usual cold gaze wavered slightly. "If your freedom means your life is at risk, I choose to take it," he said quietly.
"You can't decide my life!" Alana shouted. "You're not God!"
Alaska closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. "I know." He opened his eyes and looked at her again, now softer. "But I also can't let the world take you away from me."
Alana turned around and walked toward the mansion's large doors, while two guards bowed in respect. Inside, the room was eerily quiet. Too neat. Too lifeless.
"How long have you been planning all this?" Alana asked without turning back.
"Since the first night I saw you," Alaska answered honestly. "I couldn't stop thinking about you, Alana. I even tried to stay away but failed."
"And that failure turned into kidnapping me?" Alana's tone was cold. "Impressive. Truly an elegant obsession."
"I didn't hurt you," Alaska replied softly. "I just didn't want to lose you."
"Don't you realize, Alaska?" Alana turned to face him, her eyes watery but her voice sharp. "You're not in love. You're just afraid of being alone."
Silence. Those words cut into Alaska's chest like a knife without permission.
"Maybe you're right," he finally said, his voice hoarse. "But I still can't let you go."
"Do you think I'll just stay here quietly?" Alana stepped forward, now very close to him. "I'll find a way out, Alaska. You can't lock me up forever."
Alaska stared at her too deeply. "You can hate me," he said softly. "As long as you stay alive."
That night…
Alana sat on her balcony, staring at the vast sky behind the thin iron bars.
She hugged her knees, holding back sobs she didn't want to release.
Suddenly, heavy footsteps echoed.
Alaska stood in the doorway of the balcony, without his jacket, wearing only a black shirt with rolled up sleeves.
"Can't sleep?" he asked softly.
"Hard to sleep when you're locked up," Alana replied flatly.
"I'm not locking you up," Alaska said calmly. "I'm protecting you."
"Funny. You don't even know the difference between protecting and possessing."
"I know," Alaska stepped closer, his voice lowering. "I just don't care about the difference."
Alana stood, looking at him with a mixture of anger and sadness. "Why me, Alaska? Why not someone else?"
Alaska was silent for a few seconds before finally speaking. "Because you're the only one who makes me feel alive, and that's terrifying."
Silence. Those words made the air between them freeze. For a moment, Alana saw the human side behind the figure she had always hated.
"If I stay here," Alana finally said, "it's not because I want to. But because I don't know how to escape from you yet."
"And if you stay here," Alaska stepped closer, his face only an inch from hers, "I'll make sure you never get hurt, not even by me."
Their eyes met tense, burning, but also wounded. And that night, in Alaska's grand mansion, two equally broken hearts began challenging their fate.