𝑀𝒶𝓃 𝑜𝒻 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒮𝑒𝒶 | 𝟏𝟖+

14.

Ellianna Kingston

I had been holed up in my room for days, the soft hum of the ship rocking beneath me offering little comfort. The walls seemed to close in with each passing hour, trapping me in my thoughts. Kairos had created a world where I was safe and cherished, but all I felt was claustrophobic.

Nothing was going to change. I was at sea, locked in a gilded cage with a man who had made it clear he wouldn't let me leave. The thought sent a wave of frustration through me.

I felt like a marionette, strings pulled taut by his whims. I had spent so long analyzing the situation, turning it over and over in my mind like a puzzle I couldn't solve. How much did I miss?

Would he come to his senses? Would he realize how wrong this was? Or would he continue to keep me here, holding me hostage under the guise of protection?

The knock at the door startled me from my thoughts, and my heart raced as I froze in place. It was him. I didn't even have to ask.

"Elle?" His voice was low, tinged with something that almost resembled concern. "Can we talk?"

I remained silent, my heart pounding as I debated my options. Did I really want to hear what he had to say? Nothing would change my situation. I had already heard all the sweet lies he could muster. No amount of comforting words would ease the knot of anxiety tightening in my chest.

"Please," he continued, his tone softening. "I just want to check on you, love."

I pressed my forehead against the cool wood of the door, feeling the weight of his words on the other side. It was maddening, this push and pull between desire and revulsion.

Part of me craved his presence, the way he had held me in his arms, while the other part of me screamed to break free from the grip he had on my life.

"What do you want, Kairos?" I finally asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"I want you to open the door," he replied, a note of urgency creeping in. "I want to talk about what happened." It's not like he couldn't have found a way to open it himself.

I took a deep breath, wrestling with my emotions. I was furious with him, yet I couldn't deny the faint flicker of curiosity that sparked at his words. What could he possibly say that would make this all right?

But the longer I waited in silence, the more I realized that opening the door wouldn't solve anything. It would only give him the chance to pull me back into his world.

"I'm fine," I finally managed, hating how weak my voice sounded.

"Ellianna," he said, his voice dropping lower. "You and I both know you're not fine. You need to talk about this. I need to know you're okay." I didn't like the change of my name. It felt like I was being scolded.

A part of me wanted to scream, to let all my frustrations and fears spill out. Instead, I leaned against the door, my heart racing. What did he want from me? Did he truly think I could simply forget everything that had happened?

After a moment of us both being silent, he sighed, a sound filled with so much weight I almost felt it through the door. "I'll be right here if you change your mind," he said softly, his voice barely a whisper now.

His footsteps echoed down the hallway, leaving me alone with my thoughts. The silence that followed felt like a suffocating blanket.

What was I doing here? I replayed the events in my mind—the moments leading up to my confinement, the way he had looked at me, the way he had touched me. I felt so many emotions swirling inside me—anger, confusion, fear, and, yes, a strange yearning that I couldn't quite put my finger on.