Liana's fingers trembled as she traced the cold edge of the Blackthorn manor's grand hall window. Outside, the storm raged—lightning tearing through the night sky like the fury inside her. She had thought the worst was over, but the first hours under the same roof as Darian, Kieran, and Riven had proven otherwise.
A soft knock pulled her from the storm of thoughts.
"Liana, may I come in?" The voice was low but firm. Darian.
She glanced toward the door, hesitated, then nodded. "Come in."
The door creaked open, revealing Darian's silhouette framed by the dim light of the hallway. His sharp eyes held an unreadable mix of curiosity and something darker—an unspoken challenge.
"I know this isn't easy for you," he began cautiously, "but you need to understand—this bond isn't just a curse. It's our fate."
Liana's laugh was bitter. "Fate? You think being forced to marry three men I barely know is some kind of destiny?"
Darian stepped closer, the faint scent of cedar and smoke clinging to him. "It's more complicated than you realize. There are forces at play bigger than us all. I want to help you, if you'll let me."
Before Liana could answer, a loud crash from the hallway startled them both. The door slammed open as Kieran stormed in, eyes blazing.
"Talking behind my back again, Darian?" he snapped. "She's not going to trust you just because you say so."
Riven appeared behind Kieran, smirking. "Relax, brother. Maybe if you tried being less intimidating, she'd actually listen."
Liana took a step back, overwhelmed by the tension and conflicting emotions swirling in the room.
Suddenly, the power cut out, plunging the room into darkness. The only light was the occasional flash of lightning outside.
A hushed silence fell, broken only by the sound of hurried footsteps approaching from the hall.
"Who's there?" Liana demanded, her voice trembling.
A shadowy figure appeared at the doorway. "You don't know who you're dealing with," the stranger said, voice cold and threatening.
Before anyone could react, the figure vanished as quickly as it came, leaving behind a chilling message scrawled on the wall in dark crimson:
"The Blackthorn bond will be your ruin."
Liana's heart hammered as the brothers exchanged wary glances.
This was no ordinary threat.
The real game had just begun.
Liana's eyes darted to the ominous message smeared on the wall. Her breath caught. The Blackthorn bond will be your ruin. The crimson letters seemed to drip with menace, as if the threat was seeping into the very air of the manor.
Darian was the first to break the silence. His jaw clenched, and his voice lowered to a growl. "Someone wants to scare us. But they've underestimated how dangerous we are."
Kieran's gaze hardened. "It's not just a threat — it's a warning. Whoever did this knows about the bond. And about you."
Riven stepped forward, cracking his knuckles with a wicked grin. "Well, I say we find out who. And then we make them regret it."
Liana swallowed her fear, trying to steady her racing heart. "Why me? Why involve me in all this danger? I'm just a girl who lost everything."
Darian's eyes softened for a brief moment. "Because you're not just anyone. You're tied to us in a way that goes beyond blood or law. Fate, or whatever you want to call it."
Before Liana could reply, a sudden crash echoed from the manor's library. All four froze.
Kieran was moving before the second crash landed. "Stay here," he commanded, already disappearing down the hallway.
Darian shot Liana a quick look. "Lock the doors. Don't let anyone in or out."
Liana rushed to obey, her hands trembling as she latched the heavy oak door.
Seconds later, the faint sound of footsteps returned, slower this time. Then, Kieran reappeared, grim-faced and holding a shattered antique vase.
"Someone's inside the manor," he said. "And they're not just messing around."
Riven snorted. "Maybe they want a showdown. I'm ready."
Liana's heart pounded louder. This was no longer just about a forced marriage or a cruel destiny — this was a dangerous game where every move could mean life or death.
Suddenly, the manor's lights flickered back on, revealing a figure standing just beyond the grand staircase.
It was a woman — tall, dressed in black, her eyes cold and calculating.
"Welcome to the Blackthorn estate," she said with a wicked smile. "I'm here to remind you that your bond is a prison, and the key is closer than you think."
Liana's breath hitched. Who was this woman? Ally? Enemy? Or something far more dangerous?
Before anyone could react, the woman vanished — leaving behind a faint whisper on the air:
"Watch your back. Fate isn't finished with you yet."
The eerie silence lingered after the woman's chilling whisper faded into the manor's shadows. Liana's heart hammered so loud she was sure the Blackthorn brothers could hear it.
Darian was the first to move, stepping cautiously toward where the woman had vanished. "She's gone... but she's right—this bond, this fate, it's more dangerous than we thought."
Kieran's fists clenched at his sides. "We can't let this threat tear us apart. We have to stick together."
Riven, ever the wild card, smirked but his eyes were sharp. "Speak for yourself. I'm ready to hunt whoever's playing this game."
Liana swallowed hard, suddenly aware how alone she was in this sprawling, cold manor. She looked at the three brothers — so powerful, so unpredictable — and realized her fight was just beginning.
"Wait," she said, voice steadier than she felt. "If this bond is a prison... then what's the key? How do I break free?"
Darian's eyes locked onto hers, dark and serious. "That's what we need to find out. Together."
For a moment, the tension softened, replaced by a fragile alliance forged in fear and uncertainty.
Then, just as hope sparked, the manor's grand clock struck midnight, echoing through the halls like a death knell.
A sudden, bloodcurdling scream pierced the silence from deep within the manor.
All four froze.
Liana's breath caught.
"Stay here," Darian ordered, already moving toward the source.
Kieran and Riven followed close behind, leaving Liana alone in the flickering candlelight.
She pressed her back against the wall, heart pounding.
What was waiting for them in the darkness?
And would she survive long enough to find out?
The scream echoed again, sharper this time—like someone had just dropped a heavy candelabra on their foot.
Darian, Kieran, and Riven sprinted down the hall, their footsteps pounding against the marble floor. Liana hesitated only for a second before following them, determination burning through her nerves.
As they turned the corner toward the library, they skidded to a halt.
There, lying on the floor amidst toppled books and shattered glass, was a small black cat with one paw dramatically raised in the air.
Liana blinked. "That scream... was that?"
Kieran groaned and rubbed his temples. "Great. The Blackthorn manor's most terrifying guardian. Midnight the cat."
Riven crouched beside the feline, who was now glaring up at them as if daring any of them to come closer.
"Midnight's just dramatic," Riven said, shaking his head. "She likes to make a scene whenever anyone's feeling tense."
Darian exhaled a laugh. "Guess we all needed that reminder not to take ourselves too seriously."
Liana smiled despite herself. The tension was easing, if only a little. She glanced around the library, now a mess of scattered pages and broken shelves.
"Someone was definitely here," she said, voice low. "Looking for something."
"Or trying to send a message," Darian added, scanning the room.
Suddenly, Liana's eyes caught something gleaming beneath a pile of old parchment—a small silver locket, engraved with the Blackthorn family crest.
She picked it up, feeling a strange warmth radiate from the pendant.
"Looks like this belongs to one of you," she said, holding it out.
Kieran took it with a frown. "This locket... it was mother's. It disappeared years ago."
"Looks like the past isn't done haunting us," Darian muttered.
Riven smirked, but there was a flicker of unease in his eyes. "And whoever broke into the manor wants us to know that."
Liana tucked the locket into her pocket. "Then we better figure out what it means... before the next message comes."
Midnight the cat let out a dramatic yowl and leapt onto Liana's lap, knocking the locket out. She sighed but couldn't help laughing.
"Well, at least someone here thinks I'm company."
The brothers exchanged amused glances, and for the first time since arriving at the manor, Liana felt like maybe, just maybe, she belonged.
But deep down, the warning on the wall echoed in her mind: The Blackthorn bond will be your ruin.
And the night was far from over.