Rose took a deep breath, pushing the lingering thoughts of the night before to the back of her mind. There was no time for distractions, not with everything happening around them. She had to focus—had to remain grounded. But even as she tried to center herself, her thoughts kept drifting back to Sylus and the strange warmth she had felt. The intimacy, the tenderness—it was unlike anything she'd experienced in this strange new world she had found herself thrust into.
She shook her head, trying to dispel the confusion. Focus, Rose. One thing at a time.
Sylus and Lucas continued their low conversation, their voices muffled in the background. Rose stood by the window, glancing out at the quiet street below, feeling the weight of her thoughts pressing down on her. Vienna. The Consortium. The messages… Everything is tied together, and yet, it feels like I'm just the pawn in someone else's game.
"Everything alright?" Sylus's voice broke through her thoughts, calm but with a hint of concern that made her heart skip.
She turned to face him, meeting his gaze. He was standing a little too still, as if waiting for her to say something, anything. She couldn't quite place the look in his eyes. Was it caution? Or something else?
"I'm fine," she replied, forcing a smile. "Just… thinking."
But even as she said the words, the truth of them felt hollow. The weight of everything that had happened—the isolation, the betrayals, the losses—pressed on her chest. She had learned to shut those feelings down, bury them deep inside. She had learned that trusting people wasn't something she could afford anymore.
Her mother's disappointed eyes flashed in her mind. Her father's empty promises. And the last person she'd ever trusted, who'd shattered her completely, leaving her vulnerable in the worst way possible. The memory of it was like a phantom pain, something she thought she could escape, but it was always there, lingering at the edges of her thoughts.
Sylus didn't notice the dark cloud that passed over her face, and she forced herself to focus.
"I just want to understand. I need to know what's really going on."
Lucas, who had been standing silently by the door, spoke up, his tone pragmatic as always. "You'll get answers soon enough, Rose. We just need to stay one step ahead."
"But how do we do that when everyone seems to know more about me than I do?" she asked, her frustration bubbling up. "Dorian, the Consortium—hell, even the messages I keep getting. I don't even know what they want from me, or why I'm involved in all of this."
Sylus stepped forward, his expression serious, and for a moment, Rose could see the weight of the situation in his eyes. "You're connected to Vienna in ways that aren't fully understood, but we're not just standing by and watching this play out. We've been preparing for this. There are people who want to use you, Rose, but I won't let them."
She swallowed hard, absorbing his words. But something still nagged at her, a question she couldn't shake. Something about the way he said, we've been preparing, felt like there was more to it. She opened her mouth to ask, but before she could, her phone buzzed again.
The screen flashed a single, cryptic message:
"Trust no one. Not even him."
Rose's stomach tightened, the unease creeping back in. She looked up at Sylus, his presence calm, steady—but for the first time, she saw a flicker of something behind his gaze. Maybe it was concern, or maybe guilt. She couldn't tell.
"Who's sending these messages?" she asked, her voice steady despite the growing anxiety in her chest. "Who knows about me like this?"
Sylus was quiet for a moment, his jaw tightening. Lucas shifted his weight, but neither of them answered immediately. It was as if the air between them had thickened, as if they were all waiting for something—waiting for the truth to finally come out.
"Rose," Sylus said quietly, his tone more serious than ever, "some things… some things are better left unanswered for now. Not because you don't deserve the truth, but because it could put you in more danger."
Her eyes narrowed as she stared at him, feeling a surge of frustration. "But I'm already in danger, Sylus. I don't know what's real anymore."
His gaze softened, and for a brief moment, she saw the protective instinct in him, the same one she had seen last night when he'd held her.
"Everything will make sense soon," he said, his voice lower, almost pleading. "I just need you to trust me. Can you do that?"
The question hung in the air, and Rose felt the weight of it pressing down on her. She wanted to believe him, she really did. But there was something about this whole situation that felt off, something that didn't add up. The kiss on her forehead. The strange connection to Vienna. The messages. And the echo of those old feelings of betrayal that had never really gone away.
She closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. Trust him, Rose. For now, trust him.
The ghosts of her past whispered in her ears, reminding her of the costs of trust, but she shut them down, pushing forward, trying to embrace the new reality she found herself in.
"Okay," she said finally, her voice steady, though she wasn't sure if she fully believed herself. "I'll trust you."
Sylus looked at her, his expression unreadable for a moment before a faint glimmer of relief passed through his eyes. He reached out and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "We'll get through this. Together."
Rose wasn't so sure, but for now, she had to hold on to the hope that trusting him was the right choice. It was the only thing she could do in a world that was spinning faster than she could understand.
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