The charm around my wrist felt heavier by the second. It wasn't the weight of the metal itself, but something deeper, a reminder that nothing in this place was as simple as it seemed. It was clearly a protection charm, but protection from whom? Or what? It felt like yet another layer had been added to the twisted game he played—a game he warned me I wouldn't survive.
A part of me wanted to rip the charm off, to toss it as far from me as possible, but I knew better. In this palace, rebellion had a price. Instead, I ran my thumb over the intricate design, half-expecting it to burn me, to pulse with the same strange energy I felt every time he was near. His words echoed in my mind, cold and cutting. How long will you last?
