Chapter 3

3.

This was the only thing I could sense last night.

I opened my eyes, stinging from the tears I had shed.

My body ached, and I had a terrible hangover headache.

Me:

"??"

What was going on? This wasn't my bedroom.

My memory stalled on Caspian's bloodshot eyes behind the screen.

I endured the soreness and slowly sat up.

The sheets slid off me, revealing raw, red scratches and plum-colored bruises on my pale skin.

Especially around my waist and abdomen.

It was a mess.

(I slept with Caspian.)

Or perhaps:

(Did Caspian sleep with me?)

This one thought circled in my mind.

I slowly closed my eyes, ready to embrace the end.

But the crisp chime of a bell on my wrist made me snap them open again.

What met my eyes were ornate gold bracelets―no, shackles.

They were forged of solid gold, locked tightly around my right wrist.

A thin gold chain extended from it, trailing to the foot of the bed.

Tiny bells hung in the middle, chiming softly with every movement I made.

Corrupted by local folklore, my mind instantly jumped to several keywords:

(Imprisonment)

(Forced)

...

God help me.

I woke up, and the obedient pup was gone.

I slowly closed my eyes again.

Let me die.

But even with my eyes shut, his scorching breath from last night seemed to tease my ear again.

"Teacher."

Caspian's voice sounded behind me.

He sounded like he was smiling.

He sat behind me, wrapping his arms around me.

He rested his chin on my shoulder, his voice thick and sticky:

"Teacher, do you like the gift I gave you?"

Looking at the hickeys and the shackles on my wrist.

I didn't get angry; instead, I laughed:

"Caspian, explain yourself."