"Coff--ins," she stuttered, stumbling from the coffins towards Eli.
Even with his mask on, she could read the expression that passed through his eyes, there was fading excitement but the shock she had expected to find, was absolutely lacking.
She froze, inching away from him the moment she could command her legs once again.
"Donna," he extended his hand to her carefully, like she was a child and he was scared of moving too quickly and startling her. "Come with me."
Her heart dropped, his words confirming her suspicion. So, he knew about this.
She balled her fists beside her, her heart racing, as the worry of her ending up in one of those coffins, crossed her mind.
What if this was it?
What if this was what the previous brides saw that brought them to their sudden disappearance?
Wait, sudden disappearance?
The existence of the coffins behind her weighed like a heavy knowledge in her head, the presence of the constructed wood almost suffocating, the fact that Eli was standing by the door, her only escape, making it hard to breathe.
Her head was spinning but she knew she had to stay calm, she had to be able to think her way out of this, whatever this was.
Her need to get answers consumed her though and without thinking, she found herself asking him a question.
"Disappeared without a trace. They start hurting themselves, calling me profanities, then they fall increasingly ill, till they one day, suddenly disappeared," her lips moved, as she said the words he had told her some time ago, the words he had used to convince her of the Bride Thief's cruelty and the mystery shrouded around him. They came to her like a memory that was slowly getting its freedom, like they had been buried for so long and were only now getting uprooted out of the depth of her ignorance.
A cold realization that left her mouth bitter.
"He steals them all, takes them away to somewhere you still haven't been able to find out yet."
Her voice was quiet.
Eli knew what she was doing and he let out a shallow breath. "Just take my hand and let us get out here."
She eyed his outstretched hand, before folding her arms across her, stubbornly standing her ground.
"Open it." Her command was silent and when confusion made it to his eyes, she pointed to the coffin behind her for clarification. "Open in."
Her implied words slammed into him.
"There are no bodies in them."
"Open it."
"It is empty." His voice sounded very convincing and she would have completely believed his words if the situation had been different.
"Open. It. Eli."
Silence passed between them for a moment, heavy and tension-filled.
Defeated, he made his way to the coffin and pulled it open, making use of his ring somewhere along that complicated opening process.
"See? Empty."
A shaky breath of relief escaped her lips and as if being lured, she moved closer to the coffin.
It felt like she couldn't trust her sight, and she had to feel it to believe it.
So she stretched out her hand, reaching for the coffin while the other hand held her pendant in a tight grip.
All she felt was empty air, till images flashed before her eyes like they were being made to forcefully play in her head.
The faces moved along quickly, as they came in different overlapping frames, pausing slightly when they got to the three faces she knew.
Clio, Ria, and Kita.
Their faces shifted from ones filled with smiles to ones smeared with blood and soiled with dirt, from one second to another.
They had necklaces around their necks too, theirs having three pendants instead of one like hers.
The voices clashed against one another, sounding unnatural, like it was many voices blended into one and colliding with a powerful wind, leading into a deafening echo.
"One keeps us happy!"
"One keeps us from him!"
She was internally shaking with fear, she thought about a question and it came like an echo to her ears too, sounding more natural as it fought with the wind that raged in her mind.
"Who did this to you?" The fear in her voice was obvious.
"Who do you think?" The voices replied.
Her heart dropped.
Eli?
"Run!" The voices replied, urgency thick in their unity. "Run!" Then they split apart, different voices crying out different pleas.
"Save us!"
"Set us free!"
"Run!"
"Save yourself!"
Belladonna staggered back, overwhelmed.
When she looked back at the coffin, all she could see was emptiness and the mahogany wood it was made of, at the bottom.
"Donna?"
She flinched away from Eli's touch, her gaze meeting his with hostility.
What she had seen must have happened in a flash, because he didn't seem to have noticed it at all.
"Come on, let us get out of here, let us talk. It is not what it looks like, I promise you that." There was a break in his voice, and she wondered what emotion he was trying hard to keep restrained.
Shame?
Regret?
Rage?
Suddenly it didn't feel safe to be here with him anymore.
"Please, do not look at me like that. Like you are afraid of me." He stepped forward and it took her every strength to not step back. Thankfully, he didn't bring his hand to her face. Even though he had gloves on, she still didn't want him touching her at this moment.
She didn't know this man standing in front of her.
He was a stranger.
"Shall we go out and talk?"
She gave him a jerky nod and headed out of the room. While he stayed behind to lock the door, she broke into a race, running as if her life depended on it while yelling the name she had come to have much trust in.
"Anok!"
She could hear Eli calling her from behind, telling her to stop yelling and slow down, saying that he could explain.
She knew Eli was faster and why he hadn't caught up to her already was something she couldn't figure out but was grateful for.
"Anok!" She yelled as she descended the stairs of the King's floor.
She knew Anok was off duty tonight, she had dismissed him herself. Still, his name was the only one on her lips.
"Ano--" her voice trailed off as someone pulled her back, making himself a barrier between her and the King, who was now standing in front of her.
"Step aside, Anok." Eli dismissed him as he went down the last staircase.
Breathless behind him, Belladonna hoped that he wouldn't do that.
"I. Said. Step. Aside." He gritted.
The sound of a sword being pulled out of its scabbard made its way to Belladonna's ears and her eyes widened in surprise.
"General, did you just raise your sword against your King?"
Silence followed and Belladonna's stomach twisted in painful knots, her heart pounding in her ears.
"My king ordered me to protect my future Queen by all means necessary, and I will."