Chapter 5 Uncertainty and Fear

Elara stood by the window and looked out at the sky, which was getting darker. The mansion was long and quiet, and it made her feel bad. The stone walls were so frigid that they made her skin feel cold, and the loneliness ate at her. But the tug she felt towards Darius was the strongest.

Every time she saw him, something inside her changed. A strange, magnetic force pulled her closer, even though every part of her body told her to run. She clinched her fists to keep the warmth in her chest from getting worse. This was not meant to happen. She wasn't supposed to like him.

"Elara."

The sound of her name made her stop thinking. As she turned, her heart rate went up. Darius stood in the doorway, and his dark eyes were on hers. It was impossible to ignore his presence.

"Why are you here?" Elara enquired, and her voice sounded stronger than it was. Her thoughts told her to shove him away, but her body wouldn't let her.

He said, "I could ask you the same thing," in a quiet voice that had a hint of stress in it. "But I already know." You are having a hard time with the draw between us.

Her heart skipped a beat. "I'm not having a hard time," she said. Even though she tried hard to seem sure of herself, her voice shook.

Darius moved forward slowly. "It's hard to fight, isn't it?" He reached out and delicately touched her arm with his fingers. The contact was electric, sending a rush of heat through her body that she couldn't control.

Elara pulled back a little, her breath seizing in her throat. "I don't want this," she said softly, even if her body was betraying her.

But then she saw it: a spark in his eyes, something raw and new. Afraid? Did he fear her?

Darius didn't move, and he kept his eyes on her the whole time. Elara's heart raced and her mind raced. What was this? What was he scared of?

There was a lot of tension in the air between them. She stepped back, not because she was scared, but because she didn't want to admit how much she wanted to be near him. She hated how close he was making her feel weak, but she couldn't get away from it.

"Why are you doing this to me?" She yelled, her voice getting stronger. "Why do you feel like you're trying to control me?"

At first, Darius didn't say anything. His eyes got darker, as if he were thinking about what he was going to say. Finally, he moved towards her, closing the space between them in one smooth motion. Elara stood still, her heart racing in her chest.

"You don't understand," he replied in a softer voice, as if he were sharing something very personal. "I don't want this either."

Elara's forehead creased. "Then why?" she said, her voice hardly more than a gasp. "Why are you pushing me?"

Something in his eyes changed for a split second. Elara wasn't sure if she had dreamed it because it was so quick. A brief moment of weakness. Of terror.

Darius did not say anything further, though. Instead, he suddenly turned and walked towards the door. He felt his shoulders stiffen as he opened it, but before he went, he looked back at her with a gaze that made her stomach flip. There was something sinister in his gaze that made her doubt everything.

Elara stood there, out of breath and with her heart racing. She could still feel Darius's touch on her flesh. Her head was full of questions, and the peculiar connection she felt to him was getting stronger.

She tried to forget about him and get him out of her mind, but every time she closed her eyes, she saw him-his dark eyes and strong presence. She couldn't shake the feeling of his touch.

She raked her fingers through her hair, her anger getting the best of her. She said to herself, "What do you want from me?"

Footsteps outside her door broke her train of thought. She tensed up without thinking. She thought, "Not again, please." She turned to the door, her heart racing.

The door opened.

Darius was there again. He stood in the doorway, staring at her with a piercing, concentrated look. He didn't say anything, but his presence filled the room like a storm that was about to break.

Elara's thoughts were racing. "What now?" she questioned in a low, controlled voice, but underneath, dread and anger were bubbling up.

Darius moved closer, never taking his eyes off of hers. The air was heavy again, and his might made it hard for her to breathe. There was an unsaid bond between them that was both scary and exciting.

He went past her without saying a word, and his hand brushed across her arm as he did. The touch shot another shock through her body, and she couldn't breathe.

"Stop doing that," she said quietly, even though she didn't know what she was asking him to stop. She just wanted to know why he made her feel this way.

He stopped, barely a step ahead of her. It was hard to hear his voice because it was so low. "I can't help it."

The words hung in the air between them, full of meaning.

Elara walked back and forth in the study, nervously pulling on the sleeve of her blouse. Darius had been quiet for too long. The deal. His former life. It was all like a fog-unclear, perplexing, and heavy.

She turned to face him, her eyes full with anger. She said, "I can't keep acting like this is all normal." "You have to tell me the truth." What does this contract truly mean? Why am I- She kept on even though her voice was shaky. "Why do I want you so much?"

Darius stood at the window, and the soothing light made shadows on his strong face. He didn't move when she spoke. His back was to her, and his jaw was hard with stress. There was a thick, oppressive silence between them. She wanted to yell and throw something, anything, to break the silence.

Finally, he turned around and looked her in the eye. There was a flare of something deep in his eyes-something far away, something he was attempting to hide.

Darius replied in a low voice, almost a snarl, "This isn't a choice, Elara." He moved closer, reducing the gap between them. His presence was as strong as ever. "You don't know what you've gotten into." I didn't pick this either.

Elara's breath stopped. His words hit her like a frigid wave. She wanted to shout at him to explain and shove him away, but the way he said it-so raw and open-made her think twice.

He stopped for a long time, and his eyes narrowed as if he were thinking about whether or not to speak more. "It's better if you don't know some things about my past."

Her chest got tight. "Tell me."

Darius moved further closer, and his breath was almost a whisper on her skin. "If I tell you, we might lose everything."

Elara stood in the middle of the room, her heart racing. The things Darius said hovered in the air like a thick fog. She needed answers-needed them. But every time she thought she may get it, he pulled away, leaving her to feel her way through the dark.

"Why won't you just say it?" She asked, her voice trembling but full of resolve.

Darius looked at her for a long time. His face changed, but only a little. He said in a hushed voice, "You don't get it yet." "You were never just supposed to be my friend." He moved slowly towards her, never taking his eyes off of hers. "You were picked."

Elara's breath caught. The words cut through her like ice. She said, "Chosen?" again, and the word felt heavy on her chest. "What do you mean? Who picked it? "For what?"

Darius didn't answer right away. Instead, he reached out and touched her hand. The contact was soft, almost hesitant, but it made her jump. She quickly jerked her hand back, but the link stayed strong, tugging her back to him.

"Darius, what are you not telling me?" Elara asked, staring into his eyes for any trace of truth.

He sighed heavily and rubbed his face, as if he were tired. He continued, "I can't explain it all right now," and his voice was gruff with something she couldn't put her finger on. "But know this: there are forces at work that are bigger than both of us. Things that will tear everything apart if we don't accomplish this.

Elara's head was spinning from what he said. She had come here to find answers, but now she only had more questions. The more she learnt, the more her world seemed to fall apart.

She looked at his face. There was something else in his eyes that made her doubt everything. Fear. Not just for him, but for her too.