A Dance Between Worlds

Chapter Nine

Luxia stood in a dimly lit chamber, the cold stone floor biting into her bare feet. The walls around her seemed to close in, dark and oppressive as if they were alive with whispers— harsh, judgmental voices that clawed at her skin and sent chills down her spine. She tried to steady her breathing, but it came out ragged, her chest tightening with each inhale.

She was bound, her wrists shackled in iron cuffs that felt impossibly heavy. The air was thick with tension, and her eyes darted around the room, trying to make sense of where she was. A lone torch flickered in the distance, casting long, menacing shadows on the walls that seemed to move closer with every flicker of light.

The faint echo of footsteps reached her ears, growing louder with each passing second, and panic flared in her chest. She pulled against her restraints, but they held firm. Her heart pounded as a door creaked open at the far end of the chamber. Aelir stepped inside, his face shrouded in shadow. For a moment, relief washed over her— he was here; he would help her— but that feeling evaporated when he moved closer.

His eyes, usually so vibrant and filled with warmth, were cold, almost lifeless. His expression was one she had never seen before— disgust, mingled with something darker. Luxia felt her stomach drop as he stared down at her, his lips curling into a sneer.

"So, it's true," he said disgust lacing his words. "You're nothing but a human... a mere mortal pretending to be something you're not."

Luxia flinched, the words striking like a physical blow. "Aelir, please... I—"

"Enough," he cut her off sharply. "I can't believe I was ever attracted to you. You, a human, in our realm? It's laughable." He spat as his eyes bore into hers, unyielding and unforgiving. "Do you think you could deceive us forever, Luxia? Did you truly believe you belonged here?"

"I never meant to deceive anyone," she whispered, her voice barely audible, as if the words themselves were fragile.

He let out a harsh laugh, devoid of any humor. "Oh, but you did. You deceived us all, and you deceived me." He took a step closer, his presence towering over her, his expression cruel. "Do you think you're special? That we couldn't see through you? You're a stain on this realm, a mistake."

Tears welled in her eyes, but she blinked them back, refusing to let them fall. "Aelir, I—"

"I said, enough!" he barked, his hand slamming down on the table beside him, the sound echoing through the chamber like thunder. "I don't want to hear your excuses. You should never have crossed the Veil. You don't belong here, and you never will."

Luxia felt her knees weaken, the weight of his words crushing her. She opened her mouth to speak, but another voice interrupted— a familiar voice that made her heart ache with betrayal.

"Did you really think we would let a human roam our lands?" Rowynn's voice was sharp, cutting through the thick air like a knife. Luxia turned her head and saw Rowynn standing beside Aelir, her arms crossed over her chest, her golden eyes hard and unyielding. There was no warmth in them, no trace of the friend who had been by her side.

"Rowynn... I..." Luxia stammered, her voice breaking. "I thought... you were my friend."

Rowynn scoffed, her lips curling into a smirk. "Friend? You think I'd be friends with a human? I only kept you around to see how long you could keep up the charade." She shook her head, laughing cruelly. "Pathetic."

Luxia's heart twisted, the pain of Rowynn's words almost too much to bear. She felt herself sinking, drowning in a sea of doubt and fear. "No... no, that can't be true," she whispered, more to herself than anyone else.