Kael led Aria through a long corridor of black stone.
The walls glowed faintly with red runes, like they were whispering secrets.
Aria kept close without realizing—
the air here felt colder, darker… and every shadow watched her.
At the end of the hallway, two massive doors opened by themselves.
A quiet, enormous chamber lay inside.
Soft red fire floated in the air like lanterns.
A bed carved from dark crystal shimmered with magic.
Long curtains of shadow fell like silk from the ceiling.
It was beautiful…
and haunting.
Aria stepped inside slowly. "What is this place?"
Kael's voice lowered.
"The Room of Whispers. No demon can enter without my permission. No one can hear you, sense you, or harm you here."
Aria turned to him.
"You want me to live… in this room?"
"Only for tonight," Kael said. "Until the council stops looking for excuses to kill you."
Aria swallowed.
"So the council hates me."
Kael walked closer, stopping a breath away.
"They fear you," he corrected.
Aria blinked. "But… why?"
Kael studied her face carefully, as if deciding how much truth she could handle.
"Because the mark you carry can collapse the barrier between human and demon realms," he said quietly.
"Or strengthen it forever."
Aria's blood ran cold.
"I… can't… do something like that."
Kael cupped her chin gently—too gently for someone so dangerous.
"You can. That is why the council fears you. Fate gave you a power even demons cannot understand."
Aria's voice cracked.
"And what about you? Do you fear me too?"
Kael held her gaze, unblinking.
"…No. I fear losing you."
Aria's breath caught.
Before she could speak, a faint sound drifted through the room.
Whispers.
She turned sharply. "What… what is that?"
Kael didn't move.
"This room is alive with ancient magic. It listens. It remembers. The whispers are harmless… unless you wander into the dark corners."
Aria clutched her arms.
"I don't like this place."
Kael took a step forward.
His aura softened, becoming warm instead of burning.
"You will be safe, Aria. I promise you."
Her heartbeat stuttered.
She hated how his voice soothed her.
But then—
A sudden cold wind rushed through the room.
Aria shivered, teeth chattering. "W-what was that?"
Kael's expression darkened.
Another whisper slid across the room.
This time, it carried a word.
"Bride…"
Aria's eyes widened. "Did—did it just talk?"
Kael instantly moved in front of her, placing her behind him.
"It's not the room," he said quietly.
"It's the shadows."
The floating lights flickered.
The far corner of the room twisted, folding into itself like a hole opening in reality.
A dark shape crawled out—slow, thin, with long skeletal fingers.
Aria gasped. "Kael—"
"I see it," he said.
The creature's voice rattled:
"She… is… not… welcome…"
Aria backed up, trembling.
"What—what is that thing?!"
Kael's eyes glowed with fury.
"A stray shadow spirit," he growled. "It's drawn to your mark. Stay behind me."
The creature hissed and lurched forward—
Kael raised his hand.
A burst of crimson fire erupted, engulfing the spirit in a roar.
It screeched once—
then dissolved into smoke.
Silence.
Aria collapsed to her knees, breath shaking.
Kael rushed to her, kneeling.
"Aria… are you hurt?"
She shook her head, eyes wide with fear.
"N-no, but… Kael… I don't belong here. I'm human. This realm—your people—your shadows… everything here wants me dead."
Kael gently lifted her face with both hands.
"Not everything."
His voice cracked—
the calm slipping away for just a moment.
"You are not alone here. As long as I breathe, nothing will touch you."
Aria's chest tightened.
Kael slowly helped her stand, brushing an ember from her hair.
"You should rest," he said softly.
"I will stay outside your door. Call me if you need me."
Aria nodded shakily.
As Kael turned to leave, she grabbed the edge of his cloak without thinking.
He stopped.
Aria whispered, "D-don't go far."
Kael turned his head slightly—
and for the first time, she saw something new in his expression.
A quiet, vulnerable softness.
"I won't," he said.
"Not tonight. Not ever."
He stepped out, leaving the door open by an inch—
enough to show he was keeping watch.
Aria sat on the crystal bed, heart pounding.
The whispers in the dark faded.
But Kael's warm voice lingered in her mind.
"I fear losing you…"
She pressed a hand to her glowing mark.
And in that moment, she realized—
The danger wasn't just the demon realm.
It was the demon prince himself.