Scarle had spent most of her day wandering the gardens, her mind was still clouded by what she has seen in the morning. The sunlight felt warm against her skin. She had seen the basement, the iron doors, and the darkness that lay beneath the mansion. There was no escaping the truth.
The garden itself was mysterious, a contrast to the horrors that dwell within the house. Vibrant flowers bloomed along the edges of the path, their colors and scents were beautiful. But even here, surrounded by nature's beauty, Scarle felt suffocated by the chains that bound her to this place.
Her thoughts spin. Daman had shown her a glimpse of their dark house, but why? Was it a warning? A threat? Or something else which meant to keep her in check? She couldn't make sense of it.
Scarle sat down on a stone bench, letting her fingers trace them. She needed to stay calm to think. There had to be a way out of this. But every time she thought of escape, she felt the weight of her brothers' presence over her, as if they were always watching her next move.
The sound of footsteps approaching broke her thoughts. She glanced up to see, Kier walking towards her, his expression was unreadable. Unlike Daman, who provokes her, Kier's silence was far worse. He has an aura of control, and she never know what he was thinking.
Scarle stiffened as he approached her, her instincts telling her to be on guard. Kier wasn't like the others, he didn't flaunt his power or taunt her with his control. But that made him more dangerous.
"Enjoying the garden?" Kier asked, his voice was low and smooth.
Scarle forced herself to nod, though her heart felt heaviness in her chest. "It's beautiful."
Kier stood before her, his tall figure casting a shadow over her. He seemed to study her for a moment, his intense gaze taking in every detail of her expression. "I thought you might appreciate a moment of peace," he said quietly. "After everything that's happened."
There was something gentle in his tone. But Scarle didn't trust him, not for a second but his calm tone only made him more dangerous. He was a master at hiding his true intentions.
"I don't suppose this peace will last, will it?" she asked, her voice trembles a little. "Not with the way, things are in this house."
Kier's lips twitch into a light smile, though it didn't reach his eyes. "You're sharp, Scarle. I admire that. But you're right, nothing here is ever truly peaceful."
He sat down beside her. His presence was dominating the small bench. Scarle's muscles got tensed, every instinct in her body was screaming to move, to put distance between them. But she forced herself to remain still, her gaze was fixed on the flowers in front of them.
"What do you want?, Kier" she asked.
Kier didn't answer immediately. Instead, he leaned back, his hands resting casually on his knees as he watched her. "You've been through a lot in the past few days," he said slowly. "I imagine you're confused...."
Scarle clenched her fists on her lap. "You could say that."
Kier's gaze sharpened, and he turned his face to her more fully. "I want to offer you something, Scarle. A chance to... find your place here."
Scarle's heart skipped a beat. "My place?"
Kier's expression unreadable, his voice was steady. "You don't belong out there in the world, Scarle. You belong here, with us. And if you accept that, things will be much easier for you."
Scarle's skin flinch with unease. She knew what he was asking for, what he was offering. Submission and Obedience. He wanted her to give in, to become one of them.
"I'll never belong here," she said, her voice was shaking. "I'm not like you."
Kier's eyes darken, something dangerous was passing through his gaze. "You say that now. But you don't know the full story yet, Scarle. There are things about this house, about us, that you haven't learned. Things that might change your mind."
Scarle stood up, clenching her fists. "I don't care what your story is. I don't want to be a part of this... this madness."
Kier remained seated, his expression calm despite the tension. "You're stronger than I thought," he said softly. "But strength can be broken."
Scarle felt madness in his eyes. It wasn't a threat, but the meaning behind his words was clear. They would keep pushing her, testing her, until she was broken completely. And when that happened, they would claim her.
"I won't break," she said, her voice was firm despite the fear in her.
Kier stand to his feet, towering over her once again. "We'll see."
Before she could respond, he turned and walked away, leaving her standing alone in the garden. The weight of his presence was there long after he was gone, and Scarle's heart raced as she tried to make sense of their encounter.
She knew now more than ever that she couldn't trust any of them, not even Kier, who seemed so calm and gentle. They were all dangerous in their own way, and they all wanted something from her. But what, exactly?
Later that evening, Scarle found herself in the kitchen, her hands trembling as she washed the dishes from dinner. It was a small task, one that gave her a brief pause from the suffocating tension that was in the house. For a few moments, she could pretend that everything was normal, that she wasn't trapped in a web of control and manipulation.
But even here, she wasn't alone.
She sensed him before she saw him, the silence broke in the air, the silent footsteps as he approached. She didn't have to turn around to know it was Maddon. His presence was unmistakable, a dark and heavy energy that filled the kitchen.
"What do you want, Maddon?" she asked, her voice was tight as she scrub a plate.
There was a brief silence before he responded, his voice was low above a whisper. "You didn't eat much at dinner."
Scarle's hands pause, her knuckles were white as she gripped the plate. "I wasn't hungry."
Maddon moved closer, his large body was looming over her. "You need to take care of yourself, Scarle."
Scarle's heart pounded. She could feel the heat of his body behind her and the intensity of his stares as he watched her. He was too close, always too close.
"I'm fine," she whispered, resuming her scrubbing with more force.
Maddon didn't move. "You can't keep pushing us away."
Scarle gritted her teeth, her anger was on her face. "Watch me."
She felt Maddon's hand on her wrist, his grip was gentle but not painful. "Scarle.."
"Don't touch me," she snapped, yanking her hand free from him and spinning around to face him. Her chest feels heavy with the force of her emotions, her eyes was blazing like a fire.
Maddon stared down at her, his expression was unreadable. For a moment, neither of them moved, the tension between them became unspeakable.
"You think you can keep this up?" Maddon's voice was low, almost feels like a growl. "You think you can fight us?"
Scarle glared up at him, refusing to back down. "I won't be your puppet, I won't be controlled anymore."
Maddon's jaw tighten, his eyes were darkening with something dangerous. "You don't have a choice."
Scarle's breath caught. She wanted to scream, but she knew it would only make things worse. Instead, she took a step back, putting distance between them.
"I do have a choice," she said, her voice trembling. "And I choose to resist."
For a moment, Maddon just stared at her, his dark eyes searching for hers. Then, without a word, he turned and left the kitchen, leaving Scarle alone.
She stood there for a long time, her mind was spinning with heaviness. The weight of everything, her brothers, the house, and the control they had around her, pressing down on her, suffocating her.
But she didn't want to give in. She would find a way out of this nightmare. She would escape from there.
She had to.
To be continued...