The frozen heart

Chapter 41: In the Wake of Desire

Kaiden stood by the open door, his silhouette sharp against the early morning light that filtered into the castle's dim corridor. He was finally healed, the strength in his movements returning, but his gaze held a shadow—a reluctance.

"I have to go," he said quietly, his voice steady yet touched by a gravity that settled in the air around them. "There's... business I need to handle. Things that can't wait any longer."

Anne watched him, a tightness building in her chest. She swallowed against it, trying to keep her voice even. "When will you be back?"

His eyes softened, but he looked away, unable to give her the certainty she sought. "I don't know." He hesitated, as if weighing the weight of his next words. "It could be days... or longer. But I'll return. I promise you that." His tone was firm, but there was a flicker of something else—a hint of doubt that he didn't voice.

Anne's fingers curled around the familiar weight of The Frozen Heart in her hand, her knuckles white as she held it tightly. The book had become her connection to him, a way to reach him even when he wasn't there. She wanted to say so many things, to ask him to stay, to question why he had to go alone—but she understood him enough to know he wouldn't change his mind.

He looked back at her, his gaze lingering, and for a fleeting moment, it seemed as though he might say something more. But instead, he offered a nod, his expression unreadable as he turned and disappeared into the hallway, his footsteps fading into the silence.

And then he was gone.

As the castle fell quiet, Anne clutched the book closer, feeling its cool leather press against her palm, grounding her. Days passed, marked by the slow, endless ticking of time. She carried The Frozen Heart with her everywhere, holding it in moments when the uncertainty gnawed at her. Each evening, she would sit by the window, reading the familiar lines and watching for any changes in the story, wondering if it would give her any clue about Kaiden's fate.

Every word became an omen, every sentence a possibility. She read with a strange mixture of dread and hope, searching the text for signs that might tell her if he was still safe or if something had gone wrong. But the book remained stubbornly silent, its pages offering no reassurance, no hidden secrets.

Her heart clenched every time she turned a page, fearing that a line would suddenly shift, that Kaiden's story would end somewhere between one chapter and the next. But still, she read, her eyes lingering over passages, her fingers tracing the faded ink, her breaths shallow with the waiting. Day after day, she held onto the promise he had left her, a fragile tether in the vast uncertainty, hoping that, somehow, it would be enough to bring him back to her.

Anne sat by the small, dust-covered window of the abandoned castle, her hands fidgeting in her lap as she stared out at the mist-covered landscape. Days had passed since Kaiden disappeared, and her heart had been in a constant state of unease. She had tried to distract herself, exploring the vast empty halls, attempting to reassure herself that he could take care of himself.

But the silence had become unbearable.

A part of her feared the worst—that something had happened to him again, that he had been captured, or worse. She had run through every possible scenario in her mind, each more terrible than the last. The nights were the hardest, her worry gnawing at her like a relentless ache. She had spent them lying awake, eyes fixed on the door, hoping, waiting, but it remained closed.

Until now.

Suddenly, the heavy door to the room creaked open, and Anne's heart jumped in her chest. She shot up from her seat, breath catching in her throat as her eyes locked on the figure stepping through the doorway.