Chapter 18: The Shape Of Fear

Chapter 18: The Shape Of FearHis presence became suffocating. The royal guards, who had been focused on their archery, suddenly stiffened. They could feel it—the air had shifted. Something was different. They slowly turned, only to see His Majesty standing a few feet away. ’What was he doing here?’ His Majesty rarely ever visited the archery range—especially not with a companion. They looked shocked, but managed to keep their expressions neutral as they bowed respectfully. "Your Highness," they greeted in unison. But Zavren didn’t even acknowledge them. His expression was unreadable... and far from pleasant. If only Ariana knew—the king wasn’t the one meant to be giving her the tour. It was supposed to be Raven. But why did he choose to do that...? Her gaze remained fixed on the brown-haired man. Among the three guards, he took just a little longer before releasing each arrow. It wasn’t hesitation—more like precision, checking his aim before shooting. Something about that intrigued her. That was what had made her smile. "Ariana." Her eyes snapped open as Zavren’s voice cut through her thoughts. His calm grey eyes flashed with displeasure, his brow knitting together. He looked far from pleased. He gently lifted her chin. "I should be the only man you stare at like that. And that smile..." His lips curled into something dark. The mistaking possessiveness in his tone could not be ignored. "Belongs to me. Unless, of course, you want to see this..." Before she could speak, Zavren raised a hand. One of the guards quickly moved to hand him an arrow and a bow. Ariana’s eyes widened. He wasn’t serious... was he? But Zavren raised the bow, his expression so calm you’d think he was about to demonstrate something, not test it. A soft smile curved his lips. Then he aimed—straight at the man she had smiled at. His eyes were bored. Ariana’s body trembled slightly as she realized what he was about to do. She instinctively moved quickly as she tugged on his arm and tapped him lightly, hoping to stop him. Zavren turned to her, eyes devoid of warmth. "Is there a problem?" he asked, voice cold and distant, his face completely blank. Ariana’s face paled. The look in his eyes was enough to make her body run cold. CLICK. SWISH! Before she could react, the arrow flew—fast and precise. It struck the man directly in the left shoulder. Ariana’s lips trembled in shock as blood gushed from the wound. But the man didn’t fall. He stayed upright, emotionless, as if he had encountered worse. Ariana’s heart shook in disbelief. "As expected of a royal guard," Zavren said, casually examining another arrow like he hadn’t just done something inhuman. Ariana couldn’t believe what she had just witnessed. Just... just because she smiled at another man? Her eyes stared in horror as blood continued to gush from the wound. The arrow was still lodged in his shoulder yet he did not flinch. Was this normal? Was he normal? Zavren turned slightly, preparing to load the next arrow. It was like that wasn’t enough—and the calmness in how he did it... no one would believe he had just shot a guard. He moved. But then something unexpected happened. SLAP! Ariana slapped his hand—hard. The sharp sound echoed in the still air. Zavren’s eyes widened slightly. The royal guards trembled. Whoever this lady was, she had just made a very dangerous choice. "P...p...please stop," Ariana mouthed the words slowly. Zavren stood frozen. He had never seen her like that before. Not even with her lips. And even though no sound came out, it was deeper than anything that could be heard. Now... she had mouthed words to him. For a moment, everything stilled. The guards didn’t move. No one dared to breathe. The only sound was the wind blowing gently through Ariana’s blonde hair. Zavren’s lips finally curved into a slow smile. For the first time, his teeth came into view—but the warmth wasn’t there. His expression remained blank. Then he turned toward the brown-haired man. "You," he called, voice calm but heavy. "To the dungeon." The man bowed low, without hesitation. The others followed his lead, bowing deeply before quickly making their exit. And then, silence. Now, only Zavren and Ariana remained. Ariana’s eyes watched him in disbelief. She couldn’t understand—this man... he wasn’t just dangerous, he was ruthless. All of this—because of a smile? Zavren leaned in slowly, his presence overwhelming, his shadow stretching over her like a storm. He tilted her chin up with a single finger, forcing her to meet his gaze once more. "This is a little warning, sweetheart," he whispered, voice smooth but edged with ice. Ariana could not believe what she had just witnessed. Was this man serious? Her breath left her lips—shaky. "Scared?" Zavren asked quietly his eyes glinting. ’Devil..’ Ariana said bitterly to herself, Zavren lips stretched wider. This man wasn’t serious. Who wouldn’t be, after seeing what he had just done? Not to mention how unnervingly calm he was. He turned. SWOOSH. The arrow moved swiftly, landing straight in the center of the target. Ariana’s lips parted in shock—he hadn’t even been standing upright. Yet, even from that casual, almost lazy stance, the arrow had flown directly to the bullseye. She couldn’t believe it. He turned his gaze toward her. Seeing the look on her face was enough to bring a grin to his lips. Of course, he got the reaction he wanted—he had finally nailed it. And then he spoke quietly, "See? I’m the best." Ariana’s lips parted slightly as she stared at the bow. Then Zavren spoke again. "Do you want to try?" She nodded quietly. "Come with me," he said. They both moved until they stopped right at the center. Zavren gently rested his hand on her shoulder and guided her to the exact spot. Holding the arrow, he handed both it and the bow to her. When Ariana took them, she gasped softly at how heavy they felt. From the way Zavren held them, it had looked so easy—effortless. But now that she was holding them herself, she wondered how anyone could manage to carry such weight and still shoot with such precision. She became even more awed by it. Zavren moved behind her, lowering himself to match her height. Ariana’s body stilled as the warmth of his chest pressed against her back. His hot breath fanned her ear, sending a light shiver down her spine at the sheer intensity of his presence. "Focus, Snowflake," Zavren whispered, guiding her hands as they aimed together. Ariana’s eyes followed his lead. "Eyes on the target. Don’t overthink it. Just shoot after your precision settles. Remember—right at that spot. Not like that... yes, good girl. No moving. Now, shoot." SWOOSH. The arrow flew— THUP! It landed on the target, though it missed the bullseye. Ariana’s eyes widened, her lips parting into a surprised smile. But just as quickly as it came, it faded. Zavren’s frown deepened. He noticed. Before he could speak, Raven returned, his expression tense—apologetic. "I’ll be back, Aria," he said his expression displeased, then disappeared into the distance. Ariana froze. Aria? Her heart skipped. That was... new. No one had ever called her that before. It sounded so smooth. Almost— She shook the thought away. The sharp memory of the man Zavren shot came back like a slap. The blood. The stillness. The way his blood dropped. This man was really dangerous and yet she... Her stomach twisted. ’It wasn’t right,’ she thought, bending down to gather the supplies. Her hands trembled slightly. That wasn’t right at all. Zavren stood a short distance away, speaking seriously with one of his men, unaware of her thoughts—or her growing resentment. ’How w..would you feel,’ she asked bitterly in her mind, ’if someone pointed an arrow at you like that?’ Her fingers brushed against the bow. She shouldn’t. But anger clouded judgment. The image of the blood—gushing. How would you feel if someone did this to you? She shifted the arrow to where he stood as she pointed it at him. This is so scary, doing this alone... and... and he... he had managed to shoot his fellow... She bit her lip hard and just as she moved to drop the bow— A small, mechanical click. Her body stiffened. No... Her hand had triggered it. SWISH. Time stopped. The arrow sliced through the air, cutting a clean path—silent, sharp, deadly—toward Zavren’s unguarded back. Ariana’s eyes went wide in terror. Her mouth opened, but no sound came. She couldn’t scream. She couldn’t call out. She couldn’t stop it. W..What had she done?