Mute

Aria’s POV

The castle walls, once my safe haven, now felt suffocating. The brutal memories of a few hours played over and over in my mind: Ethan’s twisted rage, his sisters‘ wild eyes, the helpless captives. The sheer brutality of it all.

My stomach churned as I thought of the innocent lives lost, the blood that had been spilled in the name of vengeance. How could I ever be okay after seeing such horror?

I sat by the window, staring out into the darkness. The cool night air did little to soothe my anxiety. Could I ever find peace again? I had spent my whole life within these stone walls, protected from the outside world. Now, that world had come crashing in, bringing chaos and bloodshed with it.

My thoughts drifted to Caspian. He had ruined his wedding, and with it, any chance of a normal life for me, because fingers were being pointed accusingly at me, and words were like punches.

The drama that followed Caspian’s seemed endless, and now with the rogues and Ethan’s brutal end, things were more harder than ever.

Even with Ethan and his sisters gone, there was still Ellen and Caspian’s mother to deal with, these two women weren’t rogues but a part of Ethan’s life. And they both despised me.

The thought of facing them during my remaining days at the castle gave me a headache. I wanted nothing more than to escape it all, to avoid any more drama at all costs.

A knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts. “Aria, it’s Lena. Can I come in?”

I knocked on the wall beside me, so she could hear a sound and understand my approval. Although my throat was tightened with several emotions.

Lena stepped in, her face was of concern and determination. She didn’t say anything at first, just walked over and pulled me into a tight hug. For a moment, the tension in my chest eased.

“How are you holding up?” she asked, pulling back to look at me.

‘I don’t even know,’ I admitted. ‘Seeing all those people… what Ethan and his sisters did… it’s like a nightmare I can’t wake up from. ‘

Lena sighed, running a hand through her hair. “Yeah, it’s a lot. Too much, really. I can’t believe you’ve had to go through all this.”

‘I just want to get away from here,’ I signed, my hands trembling. ‘From Caspian, from the castle, from everything. But I don’t even know if I can make it on my own. I’ve never been outside these walls.’

Lena’s expression hardened slightly. “I get it, Aria. But you can’t run forever. And honestly, even if you do leave, it’s not going to be easy. There’s no guarantee things will be better out there.”

I know,‘ I signed, feeling more lost than ever. ‘But I have to try, right? I can’t stay here and drown in all this drama.‘

Lena nodded, her eyes softening. “Look, if you decide to leave, I’ll go with you. For a while, at least. We can figure things out together.”

Her offer brought a small measure of comfort, though I knew Lena wasn’t one for empty promises. She was practical, grounded. Thanks, Lena. That means a lot.‘

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“Just remember,” she added, her voice firm, “running away doesn’t solve everything. You need to be ready to face whatever comes, whether it’s here or out there.”

I nodded, understanding her words even as the weight of my fears pressed down on me. The world outside the castle was unknown, but staying here felt like a slow suffocation. With Lena’s support, maybe I could find the strength to face whatever was in front.

As she left the room, I returned to my place by the window, staring out at the night once more. The future was uncertain, but one thing was clear: I had to make a choice, and soon. Whether I stayed or left, I needed to find a way to reclaim my life from the chaos that had consumed it.

The night wrapped itself around me like a suffocating shroud. Sleep was a cruel illusion, offering no respite from the horrors spread into my mind. As soon as I closed my eyes, the vivid nightmares began.

Ethan’s wild eyes, his twisted smile, the blood on his hands. His sisters, their faces contorted with rage and malice. The captives, their cries of despair. The scenes replayed in my mind with brutal clarity, each détail more horrifying than the last.

In my dream, I was in a dark, suffocating place. The walls closed in, the air thick with fear and blood. Ethan lunged at me, his claws outstretched, and I was powerless to stop him. His laughter echoed in my ears as he tore through the shadows, his eyes gleaming with a madman’s fury.

I woke up with gasp, my body drenched in cold sweat. My heart pounded against my ribcage, each beat a reminder of the terror that still clung to me. The room was dark and silent, but the remnants of the nightmare lingered, refusing to let me find peace.

Throwing off the covers, I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood, my limbs trembling with residual fear. I needed to move, to shake off the lingering horror. I began to pace my room, my bare feet hitting against the cold stone floor.

The images from my dream refused to fade. Each step I took was haunted by the memory of Ethan’s face, his sisters‘ screams, the blood–stained ground. My mind replayed the violence over and over, a relentless loop that left me feeling trapped and helpless.

I pressed my hands to my temples, trying to silence the chaos in my head. But the physical and emotional toll of last night was too great. My body was drained, my spirit frayed, and the weight of it all pressed down on me like a suffocating blanket.

The moonlight streamed through the window, casting a pale glow across the room. I stopped pacing and stared out at the night sky, seeking solace in its vastness. But even the beauty of the stars couldn’t calm the storm raging inside me.

‘Why can’t I find peace?‘ I asked myself inwardly.

The silence was deafening, an opposite to the emotions within.

I clenched my fists, fighting the urge to scream. Not like I would be heard.

My room felt like a prison. Every corner, every shadow, held the sounds of the past night’s horrors.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. I needed to find a way out of this darkness, a way to reclaim my mind from the nightmares that plagued me. But how could I do that when the memories were so vivid, so inescapable?

I turned away from the window and resumed my pacing, each step a battle against the lingering fear. The night

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tretched on, the minutes crawling by with agonizing slowness. There was no escape, no refuge from the torment that had taken root in my soul.

As the first light of dawn began to seep through the window. I finally stopped pacing. Exhaustion weighed heavily on me, both physically and emotionally. I sank to the floor my back against the cold stone wall, and buried my face in my hands.

The nightmares had taken their toll, leaving me feeling raw and exposed. I had no answers, no solutions. Only the haunting question of whether I would ever be fine again. Whether I could e

ver find peace in a world that had been shattered by violence and bloodshed.

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