Seeing Abir's terrifying form in the forbidden room, Arisa felt as though her heart would stop. When the silver whip in Abir's hand struck the floor, the sound echoed through the entire mansion. Abir moved closer, his fingers grazing her throat. His touch was ice-cold, but his eyes were burning with a lethal fire.
"I wanted to keep you as my queen, Arisa," Abir whispered, his voice low and heavy. "But you chose curiosity. Do you know that no one who has shared my darkness has ever returned alive?"
Arisa pressed herself against the wall, trembling. A tear rolled down her cheek and landed on Abir's hand. For a split second, Abir froze. Did the beast inside him calm down for a moment? But immediately, he grabbed her arm with brutal force and dragged her out of the room.
"Abir... please forgive me!" Arisa sobbed. "I just wanted to know why you love me so much... please let me go!"
Abir remained silent. He dragged her down to the secret basement, the source of the crying she had heard before. As he flung the door open, Arisa gasped. There was Aryan, bound in heavy iron chains. His body was covered in blood; he had been tortured beyond recognition.
"Arisa... run!" Aryan managed to whisper. "He's insane... he'll kill you!"
Abir pulled a gleaming knife from his pocket. He forced the handle into Arisa's hand and stood behind her, his presence suffocating. "You asked for forgiveness, didn't you?" he hissed into her ear. "Fine. Take this knife and carve a mark on your brother's chest. Do it, and I will forgive you. Prove to me that you belong only to me now."
Arisa's hand shook violently. On one side was her brother, and on the other was the man she had somehow started to love—even if that love felt like poison. Abir gripped her hand, forcing the blade toward Aryan.
"Don't hesitate, Arisa. My patience is thin. Either you strike him, or I end him right here in front of you."
Arisa realized she was trapped in a hell with no exit. Abir Khan hadn't just stolen her memories; he was now trying to corrupt her very soul. That night, a new demonic game began in the mountain palace—where love meant nothing but sacrifice.
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