Love At First Death

Elysia spent the next morning pacing her room, her mind buzzing with the revelations from the night before. Damien dragged her to the library last night only to hear more of his cryptic remarks, which had left her more determined than ever to uncover the truth.

But how?

Damien wasn't exactly forthcoming, and Lucian seemed to take pleasure in riddles and half-truths. If she wanted answers, she'd have to find them herself.

"I'm not a damsel in distress," she muttered to herself, pulling on a comfortable pair of boots. "I'm capable. I'll figure this out."

The castle seemed eerily quiet as she stepped into the hallway. Damien was likely brooding somewhere, and Lucian… well, who knew what he was up to? That left her free to explore.

The corridors were endless, twisting and turning like a maze. The walls were adorned with paintings of stern-looking figures and landscapes that seemed to shift when she wasn't looking directly at them.

"Yup. Haunted castle. Just great," she muttered, trying to keep her nerves in check.

She turned a corner and found herself in a long hallway lined with doors. Most of them were locked, but one stood ajar. Curiosity got the better of her, and she pushed it open.

Inside was a study, cluttered with books, papers, and strange artifacts. A globe sat in the corner, but instead of Earth, it displayed a map of constellations. On the desk was a leather-bound journal.

Elysia hesitated for only a moment before picking it up.

Day 43: The revenant is... unstable. Signs of memory fragments resurfacing. We must proceed with caution.

Her heart skipped a beat. Revenant? Was this about her?

The sound of a door creaking behind her made her jump. She spun around, clutching the journal to her chest, and found Damien standing in the doorway, his expression cold as ice.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice low and measured.

"I– uh– just... Reading stuff?" she said, forcing a smile.

He stepped into the room, his presence filling the space. "You shouldn't be in here."

Elysia squared her shoulders. "Why not? You're not telling me anything, so I'm finding out on my own."

Damien's eyes flicked to the journal in her hands, and his jaw tightened. "That's not for you to read."

"Too late," she said, lifting it slightly. "What's this about a revenant? Is that what I am? And what does 'unstable' mean?"

"Elysia," he said, his tone a warning.

"No," she snapped, surprising even herself. "I'm done with the cryptic nonsense, Damien. I deserve answers!"

For a moment, she thought he might actually tell her. But then he snatched the journal from her hands and slammed it shut.

"This isn't a game," he said, his voice deadly calm. "You don't understand what's at stake."

"Then make me understand!" she shouted, her frustration boiling over.

Damien stepped closer, towering over her, his eyes blazing with an emotion she couldn't quite place. "If you keep digging, you'll regret it. That's the only warning you'll get."

Elysia glared at him, refusing to back down. "I'm not afraid of you."

"Maybe you should start to," he said softly, his words chilling.

Before she could respond, Lucian's voice drifted in from the hallway.

"Well, isn't this cozy?"

They both turned to see Lucian leaning against the doorframe, a smirk on his face.

"Elysia, darling, if you're going to poke around forbidden rooms, at least invite me," he said, his tone teasing.

Damien shot him a glare that could have frozen fire. "Stay out of this, Lucian."

"Why? This is far too entertaining," Lucian replied, stepping into the room.

Elysia folded her arms. "Do either of you ever tell the truth, or is this some kind of competition to see who can be the most mysterious?"

Lucian chuckled. "I prefer to think of it as preserving the intrigue."

Damien rolled his eyes. "She doesn't need your theatrics right now."

"And you're doing such a stellar job of handling this," Lucian quipped.

Elysia groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "You two are impossible."

Lucian turned to her, his expression softening. "You're right, though. You deserve answers. But perhaps you're asking the wrong questions."

"And what's the right question?" she asked, crossing her arms.

Lucian's smirk returned. "Why you?"

Elysia blinked, taken aback. "What do you mean?"

"Why are you the one who woke up?" he said, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Why are you still here, when so many others weren't so lucky?"

Her heart pounded as his words sank in. "You're saying... it wasn't an accident?"

Lucian didn't answer. He simply smiled, his eyes glinting with something dark and unreadable, before turning and walking out of the room.

Elysia turned to Damien, but his expression was as guarded as ever.

"You know something," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Drop it, Elysia," he said, his tone final.

But she couldn't. Not now. Not after everything she'd just heard.

As Damien walked out, leaving her alone in the study, Elysia's resolve hardened. If no one was going to give her answers, she'd find them herself– even if it meant unraveling the castle's darkest secrets.