The air was thick with tension, the weight of the figure's words hanging heavy between them. Rose could feel the pulse of her heart, each beat a painful reminder of the choice she hadn't yet made.
The figure turned toward Sylus, their expression dark, cold. "You," they said, their voice laced with venom. "You're the reason she's trapped here. You pulled her in, because you desired her. You knew nothing about the consequences, and now look where you've led her."
Sylus's jaw clenched, his hands tightening into fists at his sides. "I didn't know," he spat, the pain in his eyes evident. "I never meant for this to happen. I just… I just wanted to protect her."
The figure laughed softly, the sound chilling in the silence of the night. "Protect her? You've brought her into a world she never should have entered. And now, you're too late. The bond is too strong, Sylus. She can't break it. And if she stays, she will become nothing more than a key. A tool for this world's machinations."
Sylus's breath caught in his throat, his eyes flickering to Rose, who stood there, her heart breaking as the truth unraveled before her. The riddle, the fee, the choice—it was all connected. She had been bound to this world from the moment she had stepped into it. And now, the reality of her situation was crushing.
"You can't keep her here," Sylus said, his voice cracking with the rawness of his emotions. "I'll find a way. There has to be a way to fix this."
The figure's smile was cold, calculating. "There's no fixing this. Not anymore. I'm giving her a choice, a chance to leave. But she won't. Not with you. The bond between you two is too deep. It's not something she can simply walk away from. And if she doesn't decide soon, if she doesn't make her choice to leave… I will use her as the key, whether she likes it or not."
Rose's chest tightened, her hands trembling at her sides. The figure's words hit her like a physical blow, each one a reminder of her helplessness in this world. She had been pulled into this game by Sylus, and now, it seemed, the consequences were more dire than either of them could have imagined.
She glanced at Sylus, her heart aching as she saw the pain in his eyes. He had never meant for this to happen. He had never wanted to trap her, to pull her into this nightmare. And yet, here they were, caught in a world where their connection could either save them or destroy them.
Sylus stepped forward, his voice rough with desperation. "Rose, please. Don't listen to them. You're not a key. You're not a tool. You're… you're everything to me."
Rose felt a flicker of hope, of warmth, at his words. But the reality of the situation couldn't be ignored. She had been trapped, bound by a force greater than her, by a bond stronger than anything she had ever known.
The figure's eyes gleamed with a mix of pity and amusement. "You think she'll choose you? You think she'll stay for you?" They shook their head. "You're mistaken. She's already caught in the web. And if she doesn't leave now, she'll become nothing more than a pawn in a game far bigger than either of you."
Sylus's face twisted with anguish. "I won't let you use her. She's not your tool, and neither am I."
But the figure's words echoed in the empty space around them, like a haunting refrain. "You can't protect her, Sylus. You never could. This world… it takes what it wants, and it's already claimed her."
Rose closed her eyes, the weight of the figure's words sinking deep into her soul. She couldn't escape this, could she? The bond, the choice, the price of breaking it—it was too much for her to carry alone.
Sylus reached out, his hand trembling as he cupped her cheek, his gaze soft but filled with sorrow. "I'm so sorry, Rose," he whispered. "I never meant for you to get caught in this. I never wanted to hurt you."
For a moment, the world seemed to freeze around them. Rose could feel his pain, his regret, his love for her radiating from him. It was overwhelming, consuming. But even as she felt that connection—stronger than anything she had ever experienced—she knew what the figure had said was true.
The bond was too strong.
And if she stayed, she would become nothing more than a key. A pawn in a game neither of them understood.
Tears welled in her eyes as she pulled away from Sylus, her heart breaking. "I don't want to leave," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "But I don't know what to do anymore."
Sylus's expression faltered, his gaze flickering with a mixture of love and helplessness. "I know. I know you don't want to leave. But whatever happens, I'll be with you. I'll always be with you."
The figure's laughter rang in the air once more, cold and bitter. "Time's running out. She'll make her choice soon. And when she does, there will be no going back."
Rose stood there, caught between the two men who meant everything to her. The figure, their cruel smile lingering in the air. And Sylus, the man who had pulled her into this world, the man she loved, even if the choice meant breaking everything they had.
It was all too much.
And now, Rose realized, she had to decide. What was the cost of staying? What was the cost of leaving? And who would she become after the choice was made?
In that moment, Rose knew one thing for sure: no matter what happened, nothing would ever be the same again.