"Do you... dislike the outsiders?" You ask after a few seconds of hesitation. "If you don't like the idea of elysian. If you don't like them, then why do you allow them to be summoned into Ilusium?"

His expression is complicated. His lips part to say something but he hold his tongue back. You see the way his eyes narrow in pain, as if recalling something traumatizing.

"What do you think of outsiders, (Y/n)?" He asks without answering your question. "Do you think that they are a helpless being? No, they aren't innocent. Each of them, no matter what expression they wore during the summoning, have their own ulterior motives, and that woman outside is also the same."

You clench your jaw, fingers interlocking with his as you stare into his eyes with determination. "Then explain it to me, Sol. I'm stupid and ignorant, but that doesn't mean I want to remain like that that forever. If you know something that I don't know, then tell me."

"Are you sure?" He inquires. "I won't tell you everything, you have to find out the whole truth by yourself because if I revealed it all to you, trust me, you will never be allowed to leave this chamber ever again."

Chills run down your spine at his threat, knowing that your King isn't joking. He takes one hand away from yours to trail it down from your neck to your thigh. He raises it up, biting the flesh without warning, causing you to flinch at the sudden pain.

"If you found out everything from my mouth, then you have lost. I shall lock you up in this chamber, tie you up to my bed, and I will make sure that no one will ever utter a word about you again. Your existence will be wiped out, there will be no hint of you in this world, and no one will be able to find you." He says. "You will live in a cage smaller than mine. The only face you will see is me, the only one you can talk to is me, and the only one who will remember you is me. No one else. I will not allow them."

You gulp down. You want to say that he's lying, that your Solren will never be cruel enough to do that to anyone, but that would be too naive. The King indulged you before because you haven't crossed any line, but he is still the King, someone who has live and hold the title for more than a century, and you doubt anyone who has live that long in a cage would be in their right mind; Solren included.

"I don't understand. Why me? What truth? Why would you do that if I know the truth?" You quickly yank one of your hands away from his grip and brought both of your hands to your ears. "Wait, no, don't tell me. I don't want to know."

His eyes darken by your refusal, Solren laughs mockingly. "Why? Do you not want to be mine? After all those things you did for me; your gentle touch, your affectionate words, were they all just an act because I'm your King?"

"Of course not!" you exclaim angrily. "Whether it's because of your curse or not, there's no denying that I am truly fond of you, but don't you think a life in a cage would be too sad for both of us? Why chose to live like that when we can run? Why remain shackled when we can be free, together, hand in hand, outside of this palace?"

Solren pauses, as if taken aback by your words.

You see hope in his reaction so you continue. "It's true that you're the King and no Illusians would disobey you, but what duty do you even have? All of those have been taken care of by the crown princess who would only come here once in a blue moon so what is it that shackled you to this palace?"

He suddenly grabs your hips, pulling you up into his embrace. The King whispers, his breath tickles you but the thing he tells you shake you to the core that you can't even react.

"Because my heart is also the heart of Ilusium. If anything were to happen to it, the world would crumble. The Illusians would perish and cease to exist. That’s why I was placed here—for protection."

He pulls away, amusement flickering in his eyes as he takes in your expression.

"Now you know one truth," he murmurs, tilting his head slightly. "Which means you're one step closer to being mine."

Without warning, he captures your lips in a fleeting kiss, his breath warm as he sighs dreamily against your lips.

"I can't wait for the day you're bounded to me, tied up to my bed. I wonder... when that time comes, will you remain as obedient as you are now? Or will you hate me to the core and fight for your freedom? Either way—" his lips curve into a smirk. "—I’m looking forward to it."

You open your mouth, ready to speak, but quickly shut it. Any response now might just be digging your own grave like how your speech did to you earlier.

"So... uh... how many truths are there?"

He hums, tilting his head in mock contemplation. "Hmm... probably four?"

Great. Just great. You’ve uncovered one out of four, which is basically the equivalent of grabbing a shovel. The second truth? That would be digging your grave. The third? jumping in—having Solren dragging you down with him, and the fourth? Having someone else seal your fate, burying you both together.

"So what about the outsider? Are we going to chase her away or keep her in?" You ask after a moment of silence, praying that his answer will not be one of the 'truths,' as what he calls it.

He subtly scowls at the mention of that woman before leaning his head for another peck to calm himself down. "I will let you choose. It doesn't matter to me if she leaves or if she stays."

You sigh in relief.

"But remember (Y/n)," his hands creep under your dress, fingers directly touching your skin. "You can pry as much as you want if it's the truths you want to know, but if I know that you know, that you remember, then you're mine for the taking. There will be no turning back, and certainly no escape."

He smiles like a predator indulging in a harmless game—which might be harmless for him but not you.

"I love you, 𐰚𐰄𐰀𐰶𐱆."

✾

4 TRUTHS—

1st truth: his heart [COMPLETION RATE: 25%]
2nd truth: his death [LOCKED]
3rd truth: carnation [LOCKED]
4th truth: snowdrop [LOCKED]