A loud pounding sound echoed, the old wooden door shook violently. I grasped Oren's arm tightly. "They really know we're here..."
Oren looked at me with troubled eyes. "We can't stay here forever, Lady. Aldric must return-or we must find another way."
I took a deep breath, trying to tamp down the panic. "How could they know? This passage is supposed to be secret."
Oren turned his head, his face full of caution. "There is a traitor among us, Lady. Someone who leaked this secret passage."
---
**Tension Rises**
The sound of the impact grew louder. I felt every vibration, like a death drum beating in my chest. "Then... we must act now."
Oren nodded quickly. He uncovered some old crates in the corner of the room, and underneath them was a small floor door made of rusted iron.
"This," he said. "An old, almost forgotten passageway. It will lead us out into the palace gardens-but the path is dark and narrow."
I swallowed. "Are you sure this is safe?"
He sighed. "Nothing is safe on this night, Lady. But this is our only chance."
---
I hesitated for a moment, glancing back at the door that kept rattling behind us. "Aldric… he said he would return. Are we going to leave him?"
Oren's gaze lingered on me. "My Lady, Aldric would never forgive himself if you were captured. He would want you safe above all else."
My heart beat strangely. "But what if he's hurt? What if he truly never comes back?"
Oren lowered his head, his voice heavy. "If Aldric does not return… then I will make sure you live."
---
With a heavy heart, I nodded. "Alright. Open it."
Oren pulled a small iron lever in the corner of the floor. The trapdoor lifted slowly, groaning with a sharp, metallic creak. Damp earth filled my senses, the dark passage below gaping like the jaws of a waiting monster.
He looked at me and descended the old iron ladder first. "Come, my Lady. I will close it from within."
I drew a long breath, then climbed down the worn steps. Each one felt like a descent into a grim fate. Oren's torch was my only guiding light.
---
This corridor was even narrower and darker than the one before. The walls were damp, and the smell of old iron stung my nose. I forced myself to breathe steadily, unwilling to panic.
Behind me, Oren closed the iron door. Its final clank left us in utter silence.
"Keep moving, my Lady," he whispered. "We must be out before they find this entrance."
I quickened my pace, my long skirts sweeping behind me, occasionally snagging on jagged stones. "Where does this corridor lead?"
Oren met my gaze. "To a secret door in the palace gardens. But there… there might be guards."
---
I bit my lip. "You'll stay with me, won't you?"
He nodded without hesitation. "To the end, my Lady. That is my promise."
I looked down, unsure of what to say. Every word from Oren felt like a soothing chain—calming me, and frightening me all at once.
---
We kept walking. Every step carried us farther from that room—and from Aldric.
In my head, Aldric's words echoed: *"I always come back to you."* Why did I believe him? Why did my heart beat faster every time he spoke my name?
---
We were almost at the corridor's end. Oren held the torch firmly, and ahead I could see an old wooden door—the secret door that was supposed to lead us out.
Suddenly, a deep voice echoed in the dark: "Did you think you could run from me, Seraphine?"
I froze. I knew that voice—Aldric.
He stood in the shadows, his face lit by the flickering torchlight. His gaze was sharp, but there was a faint relief in his eyes.
---
"Aldric!" I almost ran to him, but Oren caught my arm. "Careful, my Lady," he whispered. "Make sure he's alone."
Aldric stepped forward, determination etched on his face. "I'm alone. I lured the guards away, but our time is short."
I looked at him, my chest tight. "You came back. I thought you… might never return."
He drew closer, cupping my face in his warm hands. "I told you… I always come back to you."
---
Oren looked at Aldric intently. "My Lord, how did they know we were here? This corridor was supposed to be secret."
Aldric turned his gaze to me, then back to Oren. "Because there is a traitor inside the palace. And that traitor… is watching us now."
I felt a jolt of fear. "Who? Who betrayed us?"
Aldric's jaw tightened. "Someone very close to the Queen. But there's no time to explain. We must leave—now!"
---
He took my hand, and his warmth was something I had never felt anywhere else. "Follow me," he said softly. "We'll get out of here together."
The three of us ran towards the wooden door. Aldric's hand gripped mine tightly, as if I was the only thing that mattered.
I didn't know who our true enemies were. I didn't know if I was just a pawn in this game. But right then, the only thing I understood was: I wanted to stay with him.
---
We opened the old wooden door, and the cold night air met us. Dew and chill seeped into my skin. Ahead, the palace garden spread wide—full of rose bushes and winding stone paths.
Aldric pulled me close. "We must stay hidden in the shadows. Don't let them see you."
I nodded, and with Oren, we moved quickly, blending into the darkness of night.
--
We were nearly at the garden gate when Oren suddenly stopped. "Wait," he whispered. "Something's wrong."
Aldric's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"
Oren tilted his head, listening to the night. "I hear footsteps—many of them. They know we came this way."
---
I felt the night's cold seep into my bones. "They're surrounding us?"
Aldric turned, his eyes sharp. "No. They're herding us here."
Suddenly, from the garden's darkness, figures emerged—clad in black, swords drawn. Their eyes glowed coldly—the eyes of the Queen's shadow assassins.
---
Oren stepped in front of me, drawing a dagger from beneath his cloak. "My Lady, stay behind me!"
Aldric gripped his own sword, his gaze narrowing. "Seraphine, you must stay behind me. I won't let them touch you."
I stood between them—caught in a swirl of curses, love, and betrayal. My heart pounded, but I knew: this was the beginning of the true battle.
---
The leader of the assassins stepped forward, his sword glinting under the moonlight. He looked coldly at Aldric. "Lord Aldric… your time is up."
Aldric raised his blade, his eyes blazing. "If you want to reach her—you'll have to go through me first."
I gripped Aldric's fingers, feeling the curse that pulsed between us. In the darkness of night, love and curses intertwined… and war waited at the door.
---