Chapter 196 - Old Whispers

Chapter 196 - Old Whispers
ADELINE 
Kieran paused mid-motion, his gaze flicking toward the flames before returning to me. For a heartbeat, he didn’t answer as though recalling something unpleasant. Then he sighed quietly, setting aside the wooden carving.
“When I reached the duchess’s mansion,” he began, his tone low and steady, “the courtyard was in chaos. Nobles scattering, guards running from shadows they couldn’t even see.” His jaw clenched slightly. “That spirit beast wasn’t like any I’ve fought before wild, enraged…”
I stared at him, lips parting slightly. 
“I killed it before it reached you. You had fainted, by the altar.” His eyes darkened, the memory flickering behind them. “Your brother and mother were gone by the time I got there. I had to make a choice.”
My eyes welled with tears, but I quickly wiped them. “You saved me,” I said, barely audible.
Kieran leaned back, as if dismissing the weight of my gratitude. He reached for a small flask resting on the nearby table, some kind of liquor, judging from the sharp scent that filled the air. His movements were slow, deliberate, as though exhaustion tugged at his very bones.
I watched him for a moment before my gaze dropped to the faint traces of the mark that curled near his face. “Your marks… Did you apply the herbs I made for you?”
Kieran froze mid-sip, lowering the flask slightly. His eyes flicked toward her, unreadable. 
“You should be  concerned about yourself with that right now,” he said finally. “You should be worrying about staying alive.”
He stood, his shadow stretching long across the old room. His tone was quiet but edged with authority. “If you want to freshen up, there’s water in the bathroom.”
I blinked, confused, following his gaze toward a narrow door at the corner of the room.
Kieran moved toward the main door, hand resting lightly on the frame as he turned back to me. “I’ll find some clothes for you. Something that doesn’t scream ‘runaway bride.’”
My breath hitched, but he only glanced at me once more before adding, “Get ready. We leave tonight.”
Then the door shut softly behind him, leaving me alone with the echo of his words and the faint warmth of the fire, my heart caught between fear, confusion, and something that felt almost… safe.

Steam hung over the small stone chamber like mist caught in a dream. The water rippled faintly, glinting with golden light from the lantern that swayed lazily above the tub. I sat there, my breath shallow, tracing my fingers across the carved tiles that lined the wall.
I had seen this room before. I knew it,  the faint scent of rosemary, the pattern of the mosaic floor, the way the evening sunlight slid through the narrow slit of a window.
My eyes followed the cracks in the ceiling as though they whispered to me. I’ve been here, I thought. But when?
My heart thudded quietly as I let the warm water reach my shoulders. It soothed my skin but not the restlessness deep inside. Every drop that slid across my wrist seemed to pulse in time with a memory I couldn’t place.
Then—
A voice, faint and familiar, threaded through my mind like a whisper carried by wind.
“It’s me… Redeem me once again.”
I froze, my breath catching, What was that? The voice was soft yet heavy, echoing deep within my chest as though it rose from my blood itself.
My gaze snapped to my left wrist and before I could breathe, the mark there blazed to life, pain ripped through my arm like a surge of fire. I gasped, teeth clenched to keep from screaming, my body trembling as I clutched my wrist.
“Redeem me…”
“Redeem us...”
The whispers multiplied, their tones both pleading and angry. The air around me shimmered, the water rippling unnaturally.
I hunched forward, struggling to control the pain, my damp hair clinging to my face. “Stop… please stop!” I whispered, but the voices only deepened.
At that same moment, the door to the outer room creaked open. Kieran stepped in quietly, a small pile of folded clothes in his arms.
“Adeline, I—”
He stopped mid-sentence.
The air around him felt wrong, heavy, humming with energy that didn’t belong. His eyes darted to the corner where the Helix sword rested against the wall. The helix mark on the sword shimmered, then, with a sharp clang, it leapt upright on its own.
“What the—”
Before he could react, the blade turned, spinning midair like it was drawn by some unseen pull. Then, with a rush of wind, it flew straight across the room, shattering through the bathroom door.
“Adeline!” Kieran lunged forward just as the splintered door swung wide.
Steam spilled out. The sword hovered inches from my eye, gleaming under the light. I was in the water, trembling, clutching my wrist, my body bathed in strange flickers of gold and shadow.
For a heartbeat, everything went silent.

“Kieran…” I whispered, my voice shaking.
“Don’t fight it too hard,” he said, stepping carefully into the steam, every muscle tense but his tone calm, steady. “You’ll hurt yourself.”
My hand trembled, but the sword drew nearer, tugging at me like gravity.
“I… I’m not doing this,” I said breathlessly. “It’s not me, Kieran…”
“I know.” His voice was firm now, low, grounding. “Just… breathe. Keep control of your breathing.”
My fingers brushed the flat of the blade. The moment my skin made contact, a spark flared, soft, blue-gold light raced across the metal. 
The air shimmered. I gasped and, without meaning to, wrapped my hand around the hilt.
The sword obeyed.
It rose fully upright in my grasp, and the glow from the sword spread to the mark on my wrist.
“Adeline.” Kieran moved closer now, slow, deliberate steps. His voice softened, cautious. “Listen to me. Put it down.”
I looked at him but my eyes were glassy, distant, as if someone else looked out through them.
“You can fight this,” he added

But my body moved before my words did, the sword tilted suddenly, pointing straight at him.
Kieran froze. His expression didn’t change, but his eyes sharpened, reading my stance, the tremor in my arm.
“Adeline,” he murmured. “You don’t want to do that.”
“I’m not—” I gasped, stepping out of the tub, water cascading down my legs. My movements were erratic, as though pulled by invisible strings. “It’s… not…”
Kieran averted his gaze quickly, but kept his attention on the sword. “All right,” he said calmly. “Then we’ll make it stop together.”
I slashed at him suddenly, wild, uncontrolled. Kieran twisted aside, the blade slicing through empty air where his chest had been.