Silas.

The candle flames danced wildly, casting eerie, flickering shadows that danced across the room. Sweat dripped from his forehead, tracing the contours of his tense muscles.

His fingernails dug deep into the flesh of his palm, a futile attempt to ground himself. His breathing oscillated between slow, controlled breaths and rapid, shallow gasps.

"Mom..."

A tender voice, laced with both fear and longing, pierced the oppressive darkness that surrounded him.

He couldn't discern the source of the voice, for he himself had become an indistinguishable silhouette in the obsidian void.

"Mom...mom..."

The voice continued to call out, growing more desperate with each repetition. It tugged at something deep within him, a thread of empathy that stirred his heart.

He followed the plaintive voice, navigating the darkness until he stumbled upon an old wooden cupboard. From within, soft whimpers and cries of a child reached his ears, each utterance laden with fear and vulnerability.

"M-mom d-dad...please...let me out... I pro-promise I'll be... good...it's scary..."

The child's words were a heart-wrenching plea, and the depth of his suffering filled the formless void with an overwhelming sense of pity and sympathy. The boy continued to cry and beg for release, but there was no sign of anyone coming to his aid.

"Let me out..."

Then, as abruptly as the cries had begun, they ceased. A heavy silence hung in the air, broken only by the sharp sound of a loud bang. It was followed by the eerie, haunting sound of fingernails scraping against the wooden boards, sending shivers down his spine.

"Let me out."

Another deafening bang, an unrelenting assault on the cupboard's confines, now devoid of any trace of pleas or tenderness. The tone had shifted into a frenzied, malevolent cadence.

Immediately, an onslaught of relentless banging commenced, the wooden structure itself seeming to quiver and groan in protest.

"Let me out! Let me out! Let me out!"

The pleas had mutated into enraged, maniacal screams that clawed at the very fabric of sanity.

"Let me out!...let me out! Let me out! Let me out!..."

The voice descended into a grotesque, nightmarish cadence, its timbre growing deeper and grating, imbued with an unmistakable intent to kill.

It wouldn't stop. The relentless barrage of sound showed no signs of abating, and it clawed into Silas's psyche like a thousand razor-sharp talons.

"Make it stop!"

The anguished plea echoed in Silas's mind, a desperate cry for respite from the never-ending torment.

"Make it stop!"

"S...la..w..a... up..."

A distant, fragmented voice called out, its words distorted by a nightmarish haze.

"Si...la..s..wak..e..up."

Silas strained to locate the source of the voice, but the darkness around him offered no clues.

"Silas..."

The voice grew more pronounced, a thread of familiarity weaving through the dissonance.

"Silas!"

With a sudden jolt, his eyes shot open, revealing orbs of molten silver. He was bathed in an otherworldly light, a stark contrast to the abyss from which he had just emerged.

"Silas! Look at me..."

A soothing, fragrant aura enveloped him, the scent of fresh herbs and peaches embracing his senses. His heart, once gripped by turmoil, began to calm, and his wooden expression softened considerably.

Silas concentrated his gaze on her deep blue eyes, anchoring himself to the reassuring presence before him. He couldn't discern the words she spoke; his attention was entirely captured by the nuances of her expression.

He watched as her face contorted with concern, her eyes glistening with tears, and her lips trembling as she shared her worries and the frightful ordeal she had just experienced.

Despite the lack of audible words, the intensity of her emotions communicated everything he needed to know.

He realized that having someone genuinely concerned for his well-being didn't feel burdensome; rather, it became an obsession. The warmth of her worry, the depth of her emotions, it was all-consuming in the most unexpected way.

"I'm fine." His long fingers brushed away her strands of hair behind her lovely ear that he couldn't help but want to lick sometimes.

"It was just a nightmare. Don't worry." He spoke. While part of him cherished the sight of her concern, her impending tears weighed heavily on his heart, causing a painful twist within his chest.

"W-were yo-you scared?" Alora's innocent question tugged at his heartstrings, and a surge of affection welled up within him. How he longed to hold her close and shower her with affection.
My sweet Alora.
'It wasn't scary, just a bit annoying.'
He wanted to say that but the words that came out were,
"Yes. It was really scary." He looked down trying to veil his emotion from her.

----

Alora

As Alora woke to the sound of Silas's erratic breathing and found him covered in sweat, fear gripped her heart. Without hesitation, she rushed to his side, her hands trembling as she touched his tense arm.

"Silas! Wake up!" Alora shouted in desperation, her voice quivering with worry. She gently slapped his cheeks, desperately trying to rouse him from whatever nightmare had taken hold of him.

Alora's fear intensified as she noticed Silas's clenched hands and the blood slowly seeping from his fingers. Without a moment's hesitation, she took his hand in hers, carefully prying his fingers open. The deep wounds from his fingernails on his palm left her trembling with concern.

However, her fear escalated to a new level when, before she could even move to fetch a bowl of water, the wounds miraculously began to heal at a lightning-fast rate, leaving her in awe and bewilderment at the mysterious power he possessed.

She stared in wonder but soon regained her mind back.
"Silas! Wake up!" At some point he even stopped breathing.
Her eyes started to water.
"Silas! Silas!"
After countless times of calling his name, his eye lashes fluttered.
He slowly opened his eyelids.
His dark eyes stared at her.
"Are you okay?" She asked.

"I was sle-sleeping...and...and I heard you br-breathing so hard...I was trying to w-wake yo-you up...but you wouldn't... your palm started b-bleeding and now it's all healed...I was...so s-s-scared..you even stopped breathing at so-some point..."
I didn't even know what I was talking about.

I felt him move as he put my hair behind my ear.
"I'm fine."

Liar.

That couldn't be called 'fine'.
"It was just a nightmare. Don't worry." It felt as if our roles were switched. It should have been me comforting him, not him comforting me.
"W-were yo-you scared?"
He was quiet for a moment before he spoke again.
"Yes. It was scary." He lowered his gaze, looking like a kicked puppy. My heart broke.

He wasn't even willing to scream and shout despite having such a horrible nightmare. From beginning till the end, his face remained passive.
His nightmare must have really been scary.
'What should I do?' She thought.
After thinking for a while, 'I know!'

She climbed onto the bed and carefully removed the pillow from beneath Silas's head. He watched her with a sense of curiosity, unsure of what she had in mind.

However, what she did next caught him completely off guard, sending a shockwave through his being, something he had not expected

Silas found himself in a vulnerable position, his head resting in Alora's lap. Her touch was a soothing balm to his troubled soul, her gentle fingers massaging his scalp. As she spoke, her voice filled with tenderness, he couldn't help but feel a deep sense of comfort and warmth.

Listening to her mention her grandmother, he began to understand the depth of Alora's kindness and the genuine care she held for him. It was a gesture he hadn't anticipated, one that touched his heart in a way he couldn't fully comprehend.

In that moment, he allowed himself to relax completely, his tension melting away under her gentle ministrations, and he closed his eyes, finding solace in her presence.

----

As Silas lay there, his head cradled in Alora's lap, his thoughts began to wander to places he hadn't dared to explore. No one had ever shown him such tenderness or cared for his well-being, and the unfamiliarity of it all was overwhelming.

His eyes stung, but he dared not let the tears fall. The fear lingered within him, the fear that this could all be an illusion, a cruel trick of his own mind. Perhaps he was still trapped in his cell, imprisoned in a never-ending nightmare, and this tender moment was nothing more than a mirage.

The thought that he might already be dead, that this could be the goddess's final act of mercy, entrapped him in a web of uncertainty.

In the tender moments of Alora's care, Silas found himself silently yearning for this dream to never end. If this was indeed a dream, a fleeting comfort from his bleak existence, he wished with all his heart that he could remain ensconced in its warmth for all eternity.

A pang of regret for a past he couldn't change welled up within him. Perhaps, if his parents had shown even a fraction of the care Alora has showered him with, his life might have taken a different path. The wounds within his heart, deeper than any physical injury, might have never festered, and the darkness within him might never have taken root.

But despite the past, at this moment, everything felt right. The warmth of Alora's touch, her soothing voice, and the kindness she offered were like a balm to his tormented soul.

If the price of meeting her meant enduring years of suffering, I was willing to pay that cost and more. As I turned around, I embraced her delicate, graceful waist with a firm and ardent hold.

Cuddling closer in her embrace, I felt pure happiness. It seemed like fate wasn't so harsh after all. But I couldn't help worrying: What if she finds out? What if she learns about my dark thoughts, the guards and soldiers I had to deal with, my past, and who I used to be?

Unable to resist, he clutched her waist even tighter and shut his eyes firmly, savoring the moment.

"Silas...don't dwell," her soothing voice gently implored, sensing his apprehension, a sentiment she wasn't mistaken about.

"I won't inquire," she softly assured. Her hands continued their gentle dance, caressing his long, delicate locks, occasionally tracing a path down his back and arms. In that moment, she remained oblivious to the profound solace those simple words brought him.

"Sleep now." She whispered.

"..."

'How is it that she's able to say things that would calm me down and satisfy my heart?'

A secret smile graced his lips as he inhaled the intoxicating fragrance that surrounded her, each breath a testament to the profound effect she had on him.

She was his, and his alone.
She was a drug he didn't want to quit.
He won't let her go.
If anyone dares separate him from her...
He'll make sure they beg for death.

I hope you all enjoyed it, guys.
I was thinking of adding some gifs but decided against it.
I'd like to keep it simple and leave the imagination to you guys.
Thank you for reading!

-Snow.