The night after the war still lived inside Caspian.
Small cuts marked her hands, but victory shone in her eyes. In the real world everything looked normal — her room, her house, the quiet silence — yet inside her mind, the sounds of the mafia city refused to fade.
She stood near the window, staring at her reflection.
"You'll come back… won't you?" she whispered softly, as if she already knew the answer.
The lights flickered.
A cold breeze brushed past her… and suddenly an unseen hand gently wrapped around her wrist.
Caspian closed her eyes. She wasn't afraid anymore. That presence had become familiar.
"You were jealous today," she said with a faint smile.
The air grew heavier.
A whisper formed near her ear — low and close.
"You let others come too close…"
She answered quietly,
"You never asked whether I would stop you or not."
The invisible presence moved closer. Her hair shifted slightly as if someone stood just inches away, watching her reaction.
Her heartbeat quickened… but she didn't step back.
"Your name…" the ghost began softly…
"…Ve—"
The voice stopped.
Silence filled the room.
Caspian opened her eyes.
"You always stop before saying my name…"
No answer came — only a warm, possessive touch resting on her shoulder, gentle but intense.
She sat on the bed… and a moment later the mattress dipped beside her, as though someone had joined her. She reached forward, and her fingers met something solid within the emptiness.
Invisible fingers intertwined with hers.
A slow pull brought her closer.
A soft, cold kiss touched her forehead — unhurried, quiet, full of unspoken emotion.
"You can't even see me… yet you never move away," the whisper said.
She closed her eyes and replied,
"Because you never let me fall."
Suddenly, footsteps echoed outside the door — she couldn't tell if they belonged to the real world or the mafia world. The presence beside her grew tense.
The air thickened, carrying a silent warning.
The ghost tightened his hold on her hand.
"The game… isn't over yet," he murmured.
The lights went out.
When they came back on… Caspian was standing alone in the room. Yet a faint chill still lingered on her lips — like someone had just left her.
She turned toward the mirror.
A new mark had appeared behind her reflection —
a shadow crown.
The Queen had just received her next signal.