The carriage rumbled over the stone path, each jolt sending a sharp ache through Sayori's bandaged side.
Outside the window, the towering walls of the castle rose like cold giants, their dark silhouettes framed by the pale light of dawn.
Her heart pounded—not with hope, but with quiet dread.
What have I come back to?
---
The heavy doors groaned open as Fenris waited on the threshold, his dark eyes unreadable.
"Sayori," he said simply, voice low and steady.
She stepped down, every movement cautious, weighed down by pain and uncertainty.
The servants parted silently, their eyes flickering with a mixture of curiosity and respect.
None dared speak.
---
Fenris gestured toward the hall.
"This is your home now."
She swallowed hard, scanning the grand chamber—shadows lurking in every corner, whispers in the silence.
She wanted to ask if she belonged here.
But the words caught in her throat.
Instead, she nodded.
"Thank you."
---
Fenris's gaze softened, just for a moment.
"You will not face this place alone."
But beneath his promise lay the unspoken truth: the dangers waiting for her, for both of them.
And the fragile thread holding their fates together.