Tangled in His chains

The first thing Kelly B noticed was the silence,

wasn't really the kind of peaceful quiet that came with the dawn, but unnatural, like the air itself had stopped moving like something unseen was watching.

Her head began to pound as a dull, restless ache sat behind her eyes, and when she blinked, the world around her shifted in a way that made her stomach rumble. Everywhere in the room seemed familiar, like a place she had lived in before but never truly stayed

She sat up, sheets tangled around her legs. The morning sunlight passed through pores in the thick curtains, the place was a small but cluttered apartment. Papers were scattered across the desk. A notebook lay open beside a black recording device, its red light blinking as if it had something important to say.

Then, she saw the mirror.

It was right across the room, covered with dust and cracked along one edge by the side

And written across it, in bold thick black ink, were four words that sent a chill down her spine:

"Trust no one. Not even yourself."

Her breath caught.

Her hand covered her mouth, her own pulse pounding in her ears.

"What the hell...?" she whispered.

With her trembling legs, Kelly stood and struggled to move. As she got closer to the mirror, she felt odd like something was missing. Something was wrong. She stared back, wide-eyed, confused, and then-her heart stopped.

Because she didn't remember writing those words.

She didn't remember anything.

A knock on the door made her whirl around.

She wasn't alone.

And whoever was outside... knew exactly what she had forgotten.

The Stranger at the Door

The sharp knock came again. Not the hesitant tap of a neighbor or a delivery person. Someone knew she was inside.

Kelly's pulse quickened. She glanced at the mirror again, at the warning scrawled across it. Trust no one.

Another knock on the day but, Louder this time.

She took a step back, her bare feet brushing against something cold. Her eyes darted down a silver key, lying on the floor as if it had been placed there. Has it been there before?

The door handle turned slightly. Whoever was on the other side wasn't waiting for an invitation.

Kelly's breath fastened. Panic bloated her chest. Her instincts screamed at her to run, to hide, to do something... anything... but her body felt frozen. Then, a deep, steady voice cut through the silence.

"Kelly... open the door."

The voice sent a jolt through her. It wasn't unfamiliar, but she couldn't place it. It carried an edge, something between urgency and frustration.

She moved closer, pressing her hand flat against the wooden surface. "Who are you?"

A pause. Then-

"Rowel Don."

The name sent a shiver down her spine.

She didn't know him. She was sure because she couldn't recall

But somehow... it felt like she should.

Her fingers tightened around the silver key. Something told her that if she opened this door, everything would change.

And yet, standing in the dim light of her apartment, with a blank memory and a stranger calling her name, Kelly realized something terrifying.

It already has.

The knock came again. Slow. Measured. Like the person on the other side already knew she was listening.

Kelly's pulse pounded in her ears.

The room felt colder now, the air thick with something unseen. She swallowed hard and took a step back, her gaze darting around the apartment-looking for answers, for familiarity, for anything that made sense.

But nothing did.

The cracked mirror, the warning scribbled across it, the silver key on the floor it was like walking into someone else's life. And then, there was the voice.

Deep. Steady. Dangerous.

"Kelly... open the door."

She flinched. He knew her name. But how? Who was he?

Her hands desired to take the key, unlock the door and see who was waiting on the other side, but on the other hand..a part of her knew that whatever she does now, she won't be able to take it back

Her voice quietly said "Who are you?" she demanded.

Silence. Then-

"Rowel Don."

The name sent an unnatural chill through her veins. It was familiar in the way a forgotten dream lingers on the edges of waking just out of reach, but refusing to disappear.

She clenched her fists. Think, Kelly. Think.

But no matter how hard she tried, her mind was a void. There was nothing.

And then --

The sound came from beneath the door. Not a knock. Not a shuffle. But the unmistakable drag of nails against wood.

Kelly's breath caught in her throat.

Something was wrong.

A shadow passed under the doorframe. She saw the shape of boots, unmoving, and the faintest sigh, like someone exhaling in frustration.

Then, Rowel spoke again. But this time, his voice was lower, almost... amused.

"You don't remember, do you?"

Her grip on the key tightened.

No, she didn't. But she was starting to think that remembering might be worse.

Kelly took a slow, measured step back from the door. Something was off.

The way Rowel said her name.

The way his voice felt familiar, yet distant-but she couldn't recall.

And most of all, the way her instincts screamed at her to wait.

You don't remember, do you?

No, she didn't. But she wasn't about to open the door to a stranger just because he said her name.

Her eyes scanned the room. There had to be something here... something that explained why she felt like a ghost in her own life.

She quickly turned and moved to the desk. A pile of papers lay scattered across it, some blank, others filled with messy, almost fainting handwriting. Her own handwriting. She grabbed one.

"If you're reading this, it means it happened again. Keep calm. Look for the key. Look for the tape."

Her stomach dropped.

The tape.

Her gaze went directly to the voice recorder sitting beside the papers, the small red light blinking like it had been waiting for her. Her own voice... telling her details of what she's supposed to know

As she sat quietly, she grabbed and then pressed play.

She heard her voice, weak and shaken

"Kelly. If you're hearing this... it's already too late."

A cold chill filled her skin

"You won't remember what happened yesterday. You won't remember anything. But listen carefully-do not open the door until you know the truth."

Confused at the moment because Rowel was still there standing and waiting.

Kelly held the recorder tighter, her heart palpitating as she listened.

"Rowel Don is the key. But he's also the reason you're trapped."

She sucked in a breath.

"And whatever you do, don't let him touch you."

A sudden, sharp knock rattled the door once more

"Kelly." Rowel's voice was calmer now, but there was something cold beneath it.

Her mind spins "He's the key. But he's also the reason I'm trapped"

The silver key is on the floor.

The warning on the mirror.

Her own voice telling her not to let him touch her.

Kelly's fingers curled into a fist. Whatever this was, she wasn't playing blind anymore.

She reached for the papers, flipping through them faster, desperate for more answers when suddenly, something on the last page made her freeze.

A single sentence, written in hurried, rough script:

"Don't trust what you see. He's not human."

She panicked

And outside the door, Rowel Don whispered "I can hear you, Kelly."

Kelly's pulse pounded, her fingers gripping the recorder like it was her last lifeline. He's not human.

The words stared back at her from the paper, sharp and unforgiving. But before she could fully process them, Rowel spoke again.

"I can hear you, Kelly."

His voice was calm. Too calm. Like he was waiting for her to crack.

She swallowed hard, pushing down the fear clawing at her throat. If she was going to get answers, she had to play smart.

Taking a steady breath, she stepped closer to the door but didn't unlock it. "Why are you here?" she asked, keeping her tone steady.

A pause. Then-

"Because you asked me to be."

The response sent a chill down her spine.

She asked for this?

She tightened her grip on the recorder, replaying the message in her mind. "Rowel Don is the key. But he's also the reason you're trapped."

Lies. Truth. Which was which?

In a confused state, She pressed against the door, with her palm lying flat on the cool floor. She sighed.. "I don't recall anything."

Silence stretched between them.

"I know." His voice dropped lower, almost... regretful. "That's why I came back."

Her heart skipped.

Back?

Her fingers hovered over the lock.

Desperate to stop but couldn't.. she needed some answers. She needed to see his face. And clarify

Slowly, she turned the key.

The lock clicked.

The moment it did, the temperature in the room changed. The air grew heavy, thick with an unseen weight.

Something was wrong.

Kelly's breath hitched. Her body recognized the danger before her mind did.

She barely had time to react before the door, on its own, slightly opened

And there he was.

Rowel Don stood in the dim hallway, his tall frame shadowed by the weak light. He was exactly how she imagined he would be, dark, striking, and dangerous.

But it wasn't his appearance that sent ice down her spine.

It was his eyes. Like a storm of silver and black, filled with liquid mercury, almost like something inhuman.

He slowly turned his head , watching her with an intensity that made it impossible to look away. Then, with a slow, deliberate step, he crossed the door

And for the first time, Kelly realized the truth, he didn't need her permission to enter. He never did.

Kelly played along with fear, but she forced herself to stay still. Don't show fear. Don't let him know!

Rowel's gaze flocked over her, sharp and assessing, like he was waiting for her to react or flinch, to step back, to run.

She didn't.

Instead, she crossed her arms and leaned against the desk, turning her head slightly. "You don't knock like a normal person, did you?" she said, forcing a smirk

His lips curled into something that wasn't quite a smile." You didn't answer like a normal person."

Kelly shrugged, pretending like her heart wasn't hitting hard against her ribs. Act normal. Buy time. Figure him out.

"Didn't realize I had a standard way of answering," she said, her voice smooth despite the chill in her bones. "Since, you know, I apparently don't recall anything."

Rowel's expression didn't change, but something in his posture shifted-could it be an unreadable thought of Regret? Amusement? She couldn't tell.

"I told you. That's why I came back."

Kelly raised an eyebrow. "Right. And I just conveniently forgot to mark that in my calendar?"

His gaze darkened. "Kelly."

The way he said her name sent a shiver down her spine. It wasn't a warning. It wasn't a threat. It was something else but something deeper.

Like he'd said it a thousand times before.

Her fingers curled slightly against the desk. She wanted to press for answers, to demand what he meant, but she knew better. If he was dangerous, the worst thing she could do was make him aware that she knew it.

So instead, she let out a breath and forced a laugh. "Fine. Let's say I did ask you to come back. What exactly are we supposed to be doing here?"

Rowel took a step closer. "Putting things back the way they should be."

Her stomach twisted. The way they should be?

She kept her face neutral. "And what exactly does that mean?"

He studied her for a long moment, his silver-black eyes searching hers. Then, slowly, he lifted his palm up, waiting.

Kelly's entire body tensed.

"Don't let him touch you."

The warning from her own recording screamed in her mind.

But Rowel... he just stood there, calm

And then he spoke with a softer voice

Kelly stared at his stretched hand. The warning pulsed in her mind like a flashing red light: don't let him touch you.

But what if that was a lie?

What if the only way to remember, to understand, was to take that risk?

Her fingers twitched at her side. Rowel didn't move, didn't rush her. He just stood there, waiting, his storm-filled eyes locked onto hers.

Kelly took a breath and slowly reached out to him. Everything scattered the moment their skin felt each other

She felt a rush of memories in her head with flashes of places she didn't recognize, faces blurred by time, and voices whispering in a language she didn't understand.

Pain.

Loss.

A promise she had made to him.

And then, fire.

Not real flames, but something deeper, burning through her veins, revealing the very fabric of who she thought she was. Something inside her woke up.

She almost collapsed as her knees sort of displaced but Rowel caught her and wrapped her around his arms. With that action she felt a strange perception.. Like she had been here before. Like she had died here before.

Her breath came in short, sharp gasps. "What... was that?"

Rowel held her steady, his grip firm but careful. "The truth."

She looked up at him, dazed, her heart racing. "Who.. who am I?"

His jaw clenched as if he wasn't sure he should answer. But then, he exhaled and whispered the words that made her blood turn cold.

"You're mine, Kelly. And you always have been."

"Take my hand, Kelly. And I'll show you."