5

LYDIA

Dex's hand settles gently against the hollow of my waist. He stops walking suddenly and pulls me close, his touch firm but careful, as though he's afraid I might disappear if he lets go. His other hand moves to my cheek, his thumb tracing slow circles against my skin. The simple movement sends shivers down my spine and makes my lips tingle.

His gaze locks with mine-intense, pained, yet determined. There's so much emotion in his eyes that it roots me in place. I can't look away even if I want to.

"I know this doesn't make sense right now," he says quietly, his voice low and rough. "Baron played a cruel trick on us when he erased your memories. But you belong to me, Lydia. You always have. Just like I belong to you."

My heart skips a beat. His words feel impossible, too much, too fast. Someone like him, so powerful and unreachable, saying I belong to him? It feels unreal.

"I want to believe you," I whisper, though my voice trembles. "But everything is just... confusing."

"I know," he says, and his expression tightens with frustration. "Baron has twisted everything by erasing your memory."

Dex steps back, taking a deep breath. Then he reaches for my hand and leads me down the corridor until we stop before a dark wooden door. He pushes it open and gestures for me to enter.

The room takes my breath away. It's large, almost as big as a luxury apartment in the city. Shades of black, gray, and white dominate the space, giving it a cold but strangely calming feel. A massive bookshelf fills one entire wall, crammed with books from floor to ceiling. Across from it, tall windows overlook what seems like the center of the cave, their view hidden behind long black curtains.

I walk in slowly, hesitant, taking it all in. Dex closes the door behind us and sits on the edge of the bed, his eyes following me as I wander.

There are pictures everywhere, on the dresser, the mantel, even on the bookshelf. Pictures of us. Of me and Dex together. Of smiling faces I don't recognize-Brad, Linda, Clara, Calma, and Jack, people who look like they once meant something to me.

He can't be lying. These are real.

"How come I don't remember any of this?" I ask, frustration bleeding into my voice. I pick up a photo, my hands shaking slightly. I'm smiling in it, standing beside Dex and the others like we're a family.

Dex studies me carefully. "What's the last thing you remember?"

"I don't know," I admit, running a hand through my hair. "Everything feels blurred. I remember waking up in that dark room before Baron... before he bit me." My throat tightens at the memory.

"And before that?" Dex asks, leaning forward. "What's the very last thing you remember before the attack?"

I close my eyes and try to focus. I dig deep into the haze of my thoughts until small fragments begin to surface.

"A kitchen," I whisper slowly. "The walls were yellow. There was a table in the middle covered with a white tablecloth... and flowers."

Dex nods. "Your parents' kitchen. You're remembering a place you haven't seen in over eight years. You must have been around twelve then."

I stare at him in disbelief. "How is that possible? How can I remember that, but not everything else?"

He sighs and looks away for a moment. "Like I said, Baron erased your memories."

"Including Linda?" I ask. "She's my twin. How could I forget her?"

"She's tied to this world," Dex explains softly. "If Baron wanted to remove us from your mind, he would've started with her-and with me."

"But why?" I demand, my voice breaking. "Why go through all that trouble? Why erase my memories if all he wanted was to kill me?"

Dex's expression hardens. "Because he didn't want to kill you. He wanted to turn you into one of them, to make you his."

His words hit me like a cold wave. My breath catches, and the phantom sting of Baron's bite burns at my neck. Everything that's happened rushes back-the fear, the pain, the chaos.

Dex doesn't move. He just watches me silently, waiting for me to process it all. I lean against the wall beside the shelf, folding my arms tightly across my chest.

"I can see you're not lying," I admit quietly. "But you have to understand... none of this feels real. Even if I believe you, it still feels"

"Impossible?" he finishes for me, his mouth curving into a bitter smile. "Humans always struggle to accept what they can't explain, even when the truth is staring them in the face."

Annoyance flares in me. "Would you believe a stranger if they told you fairy tales were real? That everything you've ever known was a lie?"

"I would," he says without hesitation, stepping closer. "If I saw it with my own eyes. Only a fool denies what's right in front of him. And as far as I know, you're not a fool."

He keeps coming closer until his height forces me to tilt my head back to meet his gaze. My arms are still crossed, but it feels more like a weak defense than real protection.

He places one hand against the wall beside my face, leaning in until I can feel his breath against my skin. His eyes search mine like he's daring me to deny what we share.

"What about you and me?" I ask softly.

"What about us?" he counters, his tone guarded but filled with something deeper. His lips twitch into a crooked smile as he gestures toward the photos around the room. "The proof is everywhere, Lydia. You just don't remember it yet."

My heartbeat quickens. "You said we're... together? Like a couple?"

"It's not like human relationships," he replies, his voice dropping to a low rumble.

"Then what is it?" I whisper, my curiosity outweighing my fear.

Dex's eyes darken as he slowly licks his lower lip. A faint, dangerous smile plays on his face.

"I can show you," he says softly, his voice edged with both promise and danger. "I can prove it to you."