Hot. Olivia’s right wrist felt like it was being seared by a burning iron.

The red thread coiled tightly around her hand started glowing dimly, trembling at a frequency that was painful to her eardrums.

The moment that hoarse voice whispered

"Found you...",

Olivia spontaneously yanked Celine’s hand, dragging her friend away from the sofa.

BAM!!!

A sound came from above that ceiling. Celine who had been pulled stared at Olivia in shock.

"Olivia why?!!"

she said quietly. Confused watching Olivia’s sudden behaviour. But Olivia went quiet. Didn’t answer. Her eyes were fixed on the thread slowly falling onto that sofa.

Oh no!! What do I do now!!!

Olivia said. That thread was only one but her mind was telling her it was the root of all threads. Then without her realising... the man whose identity she had always questioned was now standing right in front of her.

Her feet stepped backward. Slowly. One step... two steps. She briefly glanced toward the exit door. Just a second after she glanced toward that door, a breath was right in front of her. She turned her face.

What is this man!!

Olivia said in her heart. She turned abruptly forward. Right on target. That man was standing right in front of her face. That mask hadn’t been removed but his red eyes were still glowing like before.

"Welll! Long time no see..Olivia.."

Said that man. In a few more centimetres their faces would already be touching. Olivia’s eyes flew wide. Wanting to move away but without her realising the wall of that room was behind her.

She wanted to push him away but that man quickly backed himself away fast. Olivia’s breathing was unsteady. Suffocating.

It turned out that man had been silent for a long time because he had already locked both her wrists. She did everything she could to open that binding but couldn’t. That man only laughed quietly.

"What do you want from me!!"

Olivia snapped at that man loudly. She struggled to be released but that man just watched. Smiling as if that was something very enjoyable to see.

That man didn’t answer at all. But he slowly moved closer to Olivia. Then lifted Olivia’s right hand. The white thread coiling around both of Olivia’s hands was tied neatly. Like layered silk thread.

"I wonder.... can you see that thread?..."

He said as if testing Olivia’s honesty. Olivia went quiet. Her mind was scattered looking for a solid excuse. Her face dark looking at the man standing in front of her. His eyes were sharp as if piercing right through Olivia.

"What do you mean?.. thread?.."

said Olivia in a calm tone.

Hmm....

That man continued while examining his own palm. Then looked back toward Olivia who was standing with her hands gripped by that white thread.

"Are you sure?... but my instinct tells me those eyes see everything" said that man. Suddenly the thread that had been hanging on the floor earlier moved and coiled around Olivia’s body until it was right in front of her eyes. As if wanting to pierce her eyes.

Olivia almost startled but she managed to control herself. Her pupils stayed calm. Looking forward as if nothing was happening.

"What thread are you talking about?"

Olivia asked again loudly. That man slowly tilted his head.

"This thread??.."

said the masked man while his ring finger pointed toward the thread on that floor. Olivia pretended to look toward that floor. She went quiet.

"You mean the floor?"

Olivia asked again. That man went quiet. He only watched Olivia.

But, On the other side, Avelvion and Celine stood frozen watching Olivia who looked like she was groaning and struggling hard.

Celine and Avelvion stood stiff. In their eyes, that room was empty, only the three of them were there.

But watching Olivia who was suddenly raving and snapping toward an empty wall, made their blood run cold.

"Olivia... who are you talking to?"

Celine’s voice trembled. She wanted to move closer, but her steps stopped when she saw Olivia as if being forcefully pulled toward the wall.

Olivia’s hands were raised in the air, as if there were invisible shackles gripping her wrists.

Avelvion had already drawn his short sword, his eyes darting around that room. His jaw tightened. Even though he couldn’t see anyone, his warrior instinct screamed that something wasn’t right.

"Celine, don’t come near!" Avelvion warned. He watched Olivia’s breathing growing more suffocated, that girl’s face pale as if her life was being drained out.

"Something... something is holding her."

Both of them could only watch with full fear. To them, Olivia looked like the victim of a ghost or invisible dark magic. Celine had already started crying, her hand covering her mouth so she wouldn’t scream.

"Help... someone... help Olivia!"

Celine whimpered through broken tears. Olivia meanwhile, she saw both her friends just standing soulless beside her. Their eyes looked empty.

Confused about what to do. Suddenly a breath was right at her ear. A rough and large hand suddenly grabbed Olivia’s shoulder, pulling her backward with a touch that was very dominant.

Olivia almost fell, but the back of her body landed against the broad chest of someone that felt like a block of ice. Cold.

Javien.

As soon as Javien stood in front of Olivia, a strange phenomenon happened. The white threads that had almost pierced Olivia’s eyes suddenly trembled violently.

The fine hissing sound they made before turned into the sound of screaming that only Olivia could hear.

Those threads started shrinking, moving away from the aura radiating from Javien’s body as if they were facing a blazing fire.

The masked man let out a sarcastic laugh, but his red eyes narrowed slightly. He stepped backward, moving away from Javien’s aura zone.

"Cursed blood..." the masked man whispered.

"You haven’t changed at all, Javien."

Javien didn’t answer. He only stood upright, his eyes sharp looking toward that man. Olivia noticed Javien’s wrist starting to show fine black veins, a sign that the Demon Blood in his body was reacting to the evil power in that room.

Javien couldn’t see the thread, but he could feel something wasn’t right.

"Leave,"

said Javien. His voice was no longer an ordinary human voice. It sounded like a low growl echoing from the depths of hell.

Automatically, the white thread coiling around Olivia’s wrists shattered into dust the moment Javien held her wrist.

For a moment Olivia was stunned. Looking toward Javien. His eyes could be seen for a moment glowing a blazing purple. As if something had long existed inside that body.

Avelvion stepped one step forward, his eyes narrowing looking at Olivia’s wrist that was red from the grip of that thread earlier.

"Olivia, are you okay? Just now you looked like... you were struggling with empty air,"

Avelvion said in a suspicious tone. He looked toward the dark corner where the masked man had been standing earlier, but to him, that corner was empty.

Celine immediately rushed toward Olivia, holding her shoulder anxiously.

"Your face is so pale, Olivia! General, thank you for coming to help."

Javien didn’t answer, instead he turned his head elsewhere. As if too indifferent for pleasantries. Celine went quiet for a moment watching Javien’s reaction.

Scaryyy....

Celine said.

"Sorry guys... I’ve caused trouble for both of you" Olivia murmured quietly. But Olivia was still stiff in Javien’s cold embrace. She could feel her heart beating fast, not just from fear, but because of the dark aura surrounding Javien. Then,

"I... I’m okay,"

Olivia’s voice came out in a whisper. Awkwardly, She slowly tried to pull her hand from Javien’s grip.

But Javien had absolutely no intention of releasing that embrace. Olivia furrowed her brow.

She kept hitting the hand that was hugging her tightly without saying anything to him. For a moment, the white thread dust from before had already disappeared blown by the wind, leaving a painful red mark on her skin.

Olivia was still hitting Javien’s broad chest, trying to loosen the embrace that felt like iron shackles.

Even though Javien’s embrace felt warm and safe, Olivia’s heart felt like it was being torn apart.

She didn’t return it. In fact, her hand that had been slowly hitting Javien’s chest now fell stiff at her side.

"I’m okay. General can release me now,"

said Olivia in a very formal tone. No more cute nicknames, no more trembling longing. Only the voice of an attendant toward a General.

Javien went still. He could feel the drastic change in Olivia’s aura.

"Olivia...." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

"Thank you for saving me, General. But I think Lady Ophilia needs your protection out there more than I do in here," cut Olivia without looking at Javien’s face. She turned toward Celine, as if Javien was just a stranger who happened to be passing by.

But even though she had already said that to Javien... he still didn’t release his embrace.

"General... let go. I can’t breathe,"

Olivia whimpered.

Instead of releasing, Javien buried his face in the curve of Olivia’s neck. His cold breath made Olivia’s skin crawl.

Javien seemed to be inhaling the scent of Olivia’s skin, making sure that what was "his" was still clean from the touch of that white thread earlier.

"General Javien?"

Avelvion called in a slightly firm tone, uncomfortable watching that scene in front of his eyes. Slowly wanting to separate the two people in front of him. But Javien stared at Avelvion sharply. As if telling him that if he came closer he would receive the consequences.

Javien didn’t care. He actually tightened that embrace further, pulling Olivia’s waist close to his body until there was no empty space between them.

Javien’s large hand started gently rubbing the red mark on Olivia’s wrist, as if he was channeling a calming energy to ease that pain.

"Don’t... leave my side again,"

Javien whispered. His voice was hoarse, full of a possessive tone that had never been heard before.

Celine who was watching had already covered her mouth with her hand. Olivia furrowed her brow. Her blood felt like it was boiling looking at Javien who completely wasn’t listening to anything she said.

This is not the Javien I know!

Olivia went stiff. She could feel Javien’s hand that had been showing black veins starting to return to normal, but that man’s grip was still not released. As if if he released Olivia now, that girl would shatter into dust.

"Go back to your room,"

Javien whispered once more right at Olivia’s ear before he slowly loosened the embrace, but his eyes were still sharp locking onto Olivia’s gaze.

"And don’t you dare go out without my permission."

Javien looked at Olivia’s red hand. Olivia lifted her eyebrow.

Like..what??...

His eyes that had been purple slowly returned to normal, but the black veins on his arm still hadn’t fully disappeared. He looked toward Avelvion and Celine with an expressionless face.

"Bring her back to her room. This palace... is no longer safe,"

said Javien in a very deep tone.

Before Javien turned to leave, he managed to glance toward the corner of the room where the masked man had been standing earlier.

Even though he couldn’t see the thread, his demon instinct knew something was watching them from inside the shadows.

Olivia watched Javien’s figure walking away. She realised one thing .....Duke Herold’s white thread secret might be big, but the secret Javien was hiding was far darker.

Who are you really, Javien? And why is my fate... so tangled...

Olivia whispered quietly while turning