Grey's golden eyes flicked up, catching sight of her—approaching slowly, confidently. Her calm demeanor was like a specter of death, and despite the overwhelming cold around him, her presence chilled him even more.
Grey's body screamed in agony as he step back, every step sending waves of pain through his half-dead form. But he wouldn't stop—not now, not ever. Stopping meant death, and death wasn't an option. He staggered backward, his vision blurring as his legs struggled to support him.
crack!
Suddenly Chains made of ice burst from the ground, freezing over his legs and wrapping around his arms. The cold bit into his skin as the chains tightened, holding him in place. He tried to move, but his limbs were frozen solid.
Grey watched the red-haired girl approach him, feeling an unnatural pull tightening around his mind with every step she took. His struggles had ceased, not out of surrender, but because something deeper—something insidious—was working its way into his thoughts, dulling his resistance. The more he tried to fight it, the more futile it felt.
As she closed the distance, her long, crimson hair flowing like blood against the ice-laden air, Grey's gaze remained locked on her. He should have looked away. He knew he should have turned his eyes anywhere but her face, but he couldn't. The more he stared, the harder it became to break free.
Her black dress clung to her body, both seductive and threatening, but it wasn't the shape of her that held him captive—it was her eyes. Those endless blue eyes, vast and inescapable like the ocean's depths. They shimmered with a power that Grey couldn't understand, a force that gripped him and refused to let go.
"Beautiful..." The word slipped from his lips before he could even register it, the sound of his own voice feeling foreign and wrong. A chill crawled down his spine, but it wasn't just from the cold of the frozen landscape—it was from something far more dangerous.
The girl's lips curled into a knowing smile, her gaze softening as she looked at him like a predator toying with its prey. There was a detached curiosity in her eyes, as if she had seen this reaction a thousand times before.
'Her smile is so beautiful.'
'Wait...'
'Why am I thinking this?'
Grey's thoughts snapped like a taut wire, his mind racing to understand his reaction. This wasn't him. These thoughts—this sensation of awe and admiration—it was foreign.
Grey had seen countless beauties in his time. Women whose faces could launch a thousand ships, whose voices could stir armies, and whose mere presence commanded reverence. He had walked through palaces adorned with queens and noblewomen, watched empresses and sirens alike, and never once had his heart stirred. Beauty, to him, was a fleeting thing—a surface-level illusion that meant nothing in the face of power and strength.
But now…
Now his mind raced, his heart quickened, and for the first time in his life, he felt something beyond awareness of her allure. It was like a vice clamping down on his will, tightening with every glance into her deep, ocean-blue eyes. He couldn't understand it
'Something's wrong.'
The closer she came, the more the pull of her eyes intensified, drawing him deeper into their abyss. It was like staring into a black hole, and no matter how much he tried, he couldn't tear his gaze away. His thoughts blurred, becoming hazy, and his heartbeat quickened—not out of fear, but something else. Something wrong. His body wanted to submit, to fall at her feet.
'....Her eyes'
At that moment grey notice it. those eyes—blue and unnervingly intense—were the source of the manipulation. He realized with growing dread that these were not his own thoughts, but a foreign influence being exerted on him.
With a resolute effort, he closed his eyes. It was a foolish move, closing his eyes in the presence of an enemy, yet even if he were to open them, he knew he stood no chance of defeating her. The reality of his helplessness settled over him like a heavy shroud.
"You noticed, huh?" she said softly, her words laced with amusement. "You're mind is stronger than most."
He felt her fingers brush against his hair, a touch so cold and tender it sent chills down his spine. It felt like she was siphoning something out of him with every second of contact. His instincts screamed at him to run, to fight, to do anything but don't let her get any closer. But his body refused to obey.
"Golden eyes... can't use mana?" Her words were like knives, digging into the raw wound of his shame. "You must be that infamous Ravenwood."
His entire body stiffened.
'How does she know?'
His thoughts raced as dread wrapped around his chest like a noose tightening with every second. Her touch was soft, but it felt like she was draining something vital from him—his strength, his will, his very soul.
"Open your eyes, Grey Ravenwood," she whispered against his ear, her breath warm yet chilling him to the bone.
He didn't want to. Every instinct screamed to resist, but something in her voice, some irresistible force, compelled him to obey. His eyes fluttered open, once again meeting her abyssal gaze. This time, there was no escape. He was trapped, drowning in her stare. He couldn't close his eyes again, no matter how much he tried.
Panic clawed at his mind. He was losing control, his body no longer his own. Desperate, he bit down hard on his lip, hard enough that blood flowed into his mouth, the sharp sting of pain grounding him just enough to break free from her grasp. He took in a ragged breath, chest heaving as his mind clawed its way back to some semblance of control.
The girl noticed his defiance, but instead of anger, there was amusement. She tilted her head slightly, observing him as one might watch a cornered animal.
grey focus on pain as continue chew his lips, regaining some clarity, though her pull was still suffocatingly strong.
"What do you want?" Grey's voice was rough, hoarse with the effort it took to speak, to remain defiant.
The girl tilted her head, her smile deepening as if amused by his resistance. "Hm?"
"If you wanted to kill me, you would have done it already," he forced out, his body trembling from the strain of holding back her influence. "So what is it you really want?"
Her eyes sparkled with mischievous delight. She leaned in closer, her lips brushing dangerously close to his ear. "Maybe I just want to play with you a little longer."
The force of her charm nearly swallowed him whole, but Grey stood his ground. He clenched his fists, fingernails digging into his palms as he fought the urge to fall to his knees before her.
"Then stop playing," he said, his voice edged with both pain and defiance. "If you don't want anything, kill me already."
The girl's expression faltered, surprise flickering across her face for a brief moment. Then her smile returned, more dangerous than before.
"Well on the second thought there is something I want," she said, her voice low and intoxicating. Before Grey could react, her finger pressed against his forehead, and a searing pain shot through him.
He gasped in agony, his body convulsing as a strange glow emanated from her touch. Her charm twisted deeper into his mind, almost breaking him completely. But even through the haze of pain and her power, Grey held on, clinging to that small spark of defiance that remained.
And then, just as quickly, she withdrew her hand, and the chains binding him began to melt away.
Grey stumbled back, breathing heavily, his mind racing to recover from the onslaught. His limbs trembled, still fighting off the lingering effects of her charm, but he remained upright.
"Curious why I removed the chains?" she asked, her tone playful.
Grey remained silent, glaring at her with what strength he could muster.
"Because I don't need them," she said with a smirk.
Grey clenched his jaw, her arrogance only fueling his resolve. 'She's dangerous, but I won't let her control me.' He may have been weakened, but his pride—his mind—remained intact.
For now.