The room was too quiet. The lamp shook in Aria's hand. Her knuckles white. Her breath shallow.
Three knocks still echoed inside her chest, like her heart had taken their rhythm.
Sebastian's voice lingered outside the door. Calm. Cold. "Open it, Aria."
She didn't move. Couldn't. Her feet felt nailed to the carpet. The broken glass on the balcony glimmered faintly, the red words on the mirror stared back like a curse. QUEEN OR CORPSE.
Another knock. Harder. The door shivered in its frame.
Aria pressed her back against the wall. Her chest rose fast, like she was drowning in air. "No," she whispered to herself. "Not again. I won't bow."
The handle twisted. She froze. But then it stopped. Silence again. Too long. Too heavy.
She stepped closer, slow, each breath shaky. Her ear leaned toward the wood. Nothing. No sound. Was he gone?
Her phone buzzed. She flinched. Almost dropped the lamp. She glanced at the screen. Unknown number again.
A message: "He doesn't come alone."
