The word "hunt" slipped from Valentina's mouth and echoed through the kitchen like thunder leaving a heavy silence in its wake as if the air itself had stopped breathing. The howling of the storm through the broken windows filled the tense space. Rio and Ayhan exchanged a glance their eyes brimming with fear and disbelief. Rio his heart trembling with dread spoke in a shaky voice full of doubt
"Hunt us? Are we animals to be hunted? Who would even want to hunt us?"
Valentina stared at him for a moment her turquoise eyes like two icy lakes piercing into the depths of Rio's soul.
With a surprised tone laced with a hint of mockery she said,
"Rio what do you think we are?"
Rio his face bewildered and his voice quivering with confusion replied
"Dragons!"
Valentina smirked shook her head and said in a tone blending warning and mystery,
"Just don't fly. Stay in human form. That's all I ask of you."
Rio opened his mouth to respond but Ayhan quickly placed a hand on his shoulder silencing him with a meaningful look.
Silence fell between them again sharp and cold like a dagger.
Minutes passed before the sound of Zelina and Nadia's footsteps echoed from the hallway. As they entered the kitchen Rio's eyes lit up. Seeing Nadia even for a brief moment was like a warm breeze in the midst of a storm. A fragile sense of safety rippled through him—a feeling only Valentina with her keen gaze noticed. Without hesitation she turned to Zelina and said in a commanding tone
"Come apprentice, I have work for you, you fool."
Zelina who had just arrived said with a surprised expression
"What are you saying master? I just got here! I haven't even..."
Valentina ignoring her protests grabbed Zelina's arm and pulled her with surprising strength. Then with the same force she yanked Ayhan from his seat. Ayhan still holding his plate of food said with wide astonished eyes
"What's going on here?"
Valentina growled in a tone that left no room for argument,
"I have work for you too hurry up!"
The three of them rushed out of the kitchen leaving only Rio and Nadia in the cold eerie space. Nadia let out a deep sigh and sat on a wooden chair. She pulled the plate of food toward her and began eating, but her movements were unnatural as if she were only eating to fill the silence. Rio now sitting beside her noticed for the first time that Nadia had barely eaten since the incident. Beneath her cold harsh mask her eyes hid a deep anxiety. Rio wanted to tell her everything—about Valentina, about his doubts and questions about the fear that stalked him like a shadow. He wanted to say they needed to leave the castle right now. But Nadia's anxiety, emanating from her like a silent wave kept him quiet.
The silence between them grew like an invisible wall rising higher with each passing moment. But suddenly Nadia spoke in a cold emotionless voice, as if it came from the depths of a dark cave
"Your hand! How did your hand get cut off?"
The question struck Rio's heart like a sharp blade. Memories of Valdis—the starlit man with blazing eyes and a black cloak—awoke in his mind like a living nightmare. The screams of elven warriors, the empire turning to ash, and the moment Valdis severed his wrist played before his eyes like a horrific film. A loud piercing ring echoed in his ears, as if the world around him was collapsing. His heartbeat raced so fast he felt his chest might burst. He placed his hand on his heart a burning pain flaring in his chest. His breaths came in ragged gasps and his body trembled with fear.
Nadia noticing his distress, said in a firm but calm voice,
"Breathe! That man isn't here anymore."
Rio looked into Nadia's eyes now seeing a trace of concern beneath their usual coldness. With immense effort he took deep breaths and after a few minutes managed to calm himself. His heart still pounded, but the pain in his chest slowly subsided. Nadia with a sarcastic smirk said,
"At least you can do one thing right."
Rio swallowed hard and in a broken voice said,
"I wanted to help you."
Nadia stabbed her wooden fork into the food with a harsh motion. She paused for a moment, as if choosing her words. Then leaning closer to Rio she said in a threatening whisper,
"You wanted to save me? Or yourself?"
Shocked by her words Rio said with wide eyes and a voice full of disbelief,
"What? What are you saying?"
Nadia paused her eyes like two cold blades fixed on him. Then in a voice where each word was like a dagger she whispered,
"You never mattered to me, and you never will. So why should I matter to you? You hate me just as much as I hate you."
Her words hit Rio like a poisoned arrow to the chest. His breaths slowed as if the air had been stolen from his lungs. For a moment the world around him blurred. He tried to clench his fist but instead, his fingers scraped the table, his nails gouging the wood.
Rio gritted his teeth so hard the sound of them grinding echoed in his head.
The air in the kitchen grew cold—not from the storm outside, but as if something icy was seeping out from within Rio. Nadia unfazed by his reaction kept her eyes locked on his as if waiting for him to reveal his true self.
But for a brief moment, something shocked Nadia. A flicker of icy blue, like a spark in the darkness flashed in Rio's eyes. but It vanished quickly as if it had never been there. Rio his body trembling with rage and sorrow, slowly rose from the chair. Without looking at Nadia he said in a quiet but pain-filled voice,
"Then it's two days from now."
He took a step toward the exit but suddenly stopped. He turned his head slightly and, with a look blending anger and pleading, said,
"If I don't matter to you then why do you hate me so much?"
Without waiting for a reply he left the kitchen. Nadia now alone stared at her plate. For a moment, her eyes lost their usual coldness replaced by a shadow of doubt.
On the other side Rio entered the castle's dimly lit hallway. After a few steps his body shook with rage and sorrow. He leaned against the stone wall with his good hand as if trying to keep himself from falling apart. He took deep breaths but each one felt like a dagger in his chest. His anger a burning fire mingled with deep sorrow. Nadia's words echoed in his mind like poison. But finally with heavy steps he headed toward the castle's main hall.
In the hall Zelina and Ayhan sat by the fireplace. The orange flames illuminated Zelina's lively face as she spoke with childlike excitement. Upon seeing Rio her eyes lit up and with uncontainable enthusiasm she shouted,
"Rio you're here? Come over! I want us to get to know each other better!"
Rio his face still shadowed by anger and sorrow paused for a moment. Zelina's voice, like a light in the darkness briefly pulled him from his thoughts but his heart remained trapped in the grip of Nadia's words.