Chapter 435: Chapter 435

"I -an? Is that really you?"

Shelby whispered, her lips trembling, as her eyes filled with tears. She would have loved to say that she had never expected him to be there but Shelby knew without a doubt that she wished he was.

’He really came! I knew it!’

The tears were of relief at the thought that her ’comfort’ was there. In that moment, she had not even noticed how over-reliant she had become on him.

A breath hitched in Shelby’s throat, and all the braveness she had tried to hold onto shattered like fragile glass. The weight of everything she had endured, the accident, the despair of falling into another land, the near-death experience, the false bravado and even the true courage to stand in front of that asshole of a Prince....

Nothing else mattered in that moment... it all melted in an instant at the sight of him. Shock and happiness warred within her, leaving her unsteady, her mind reeling.

Tears blurred her vision as she took a trembling step forward, not even sparing a thought for the damp moss and mould clinging to the cold stone beneath her feet. Her entire world had shrunk to one thing... him. It was okay that she was in a dungeon of a sort. It was all okay if Ian was there... his familiar presence, his silhouette standing just beyond the darkness.

But then... something was wrong. It took a few moments for that reality to hit Shelby, and a chill crept up her spine as her heart pounded louder, a silent warning that she was too overwhelmed to hear at first. It took a moment to register, but a dreadful stillness settled over her when she did.

With every step she took, he moved back the same length.

’Why would Ian do that? Am I imagining things?’ That thought pierced Shelby’s mind, making her confused.

Not a natural step, not the hesitant retreat of a man overwhelmed. No. It was as if he was being pulled, and the space between them refused to close. Shelby sped up, her trembling steps turning to a jog and then a run.

She was not looking at where her feet were stepping. Shelby just wanted to get to him. A breath of unease coiled around her, her joy beginning to wither into something else entirely because the distance remained the same no matter how fast she was.

Her lips parted, but no sound came out. The distress made her tears flow more. The pain of tiny objects pricking Shelby’s feet in the unknown place went ignored, overshadowed by the rising tide of distress crashing over her.

Each sharp sting, each scrape against the cold, unforgiving stone was meaningless compared to the dread tightening around her chest. Her breath hitched again as she tried to get in more air.

She was not about to give up when her husband was right in front of her. Shelby was not in the right frame of mind to even think about what was happening. She let out another whisper, her voice barely above a whisper. "Wait... Ian! Please.... stop moving."

Or rather... he wasn’t the one moving. Shelby stopped, panting. She had run far but then.... She looked back and saw that the scenery around was still the same. It was as if she had barely taken a few steps... and Ian... was still at that same distance, facing her and smiling gently. He had not said a single word to her.

A fresh wave of fear coiled around her as the realization clawed its way into her mind. The shadows around him flickered unnaturally, bending and shifting like something alive, something unseen. And then, for just a fraction of a second, Shelby swore she saw it... a dark force tugging him away.

Her heart pounded, and she rubbed her eyes.

"No." The word tumbled from her lips, raw and broken. Panic took root as she rushed forward again, her feet barely registering the jagged debris biting into her skin. "Don’t go .... please!"

But the more she reached, the further he slipped away, like an illusion unraveling before her very eyes.

"Is this some Fae bullshit!"

Shelby panted and then stopped, stomping her feet in frustration. That was because it finally hit her.

’The place was dark, so how do I see that far beyond me?’

She looked long and hard at ’Ian’ and then closed her eyes, fresh tears streamed silently down her cheeks.

’It’s not him!’ That singular thought was enough to break her last self-will. The image of the person was like Ian, without the beard. They looked similar but definitely not the same.

Shelby slumped down, her knees hitting the damp, unforgiving floor as a strangled sob tore from her throat. The weight of her despair crushed her chest, making it impossible to breathe. Hot tears streamed down her face, blurring her vision, but she didn’t bother to wipe them away. What was the point?

Her fingers curled into her hair, gripping desperately as if she could somehow anchor herself in the ridiculous scene

"No, no, no..." The words spilled from her trembling lips, each one shakier than the last. Her body trembled violently, wracked by sobs so deep they threatened to consume her whole. She had been strong.

Shelby had fought, endured, and clung to hope even when everything seemed lost. However, she had been dumped in a place with no one else... There was no way out, and Murray, the only familiar face in this strange place, was not there. This cruel scene was by far the last straw for her. This was unbearable.

’Are they trying to break me down emotionally? But how did they know what Ian looks like? And where did they send Murray?’

The agony of seeing Ian there, just within reach, only for some unseen force to steal him away shattered Shelby.

Her tears dripped onto the stone floor, mixing with the grime and filth beneath her. Her hands clawed at the cold ground, useless, helpless. Why?

Shelby’s shoulders shook as she curled inward, rocking slightly as if trying to hold herself together. But she was unraveling... coming apart at the seams. She was only twenty-three years old.

And then, as if the very space had turned against her, Ian’s presence faded further, swallowed by the darkness. A last thread of hope inside her snapped. She was alone.

A wail escaped her lips, raw and broken... a sound so full of sorrow that even the silence of the dungeon seemed to flinch in response.

After what seemed like a while, a pulsing warmth of the necklace brought Shelby out of the grief. She did not want even to understand how that had been pulled off, and her emotions were a mess.

Whatever was in her surroundings did not compare to the storm raging inside her. The whirlwind of emotions- fear, grief, exhaustion among other turbulent ones made her ignore everything else around her.

Shelby lay there for a while and felt another presence. She did not even flinch. Whoever it was said something to her. He hesitated a bit before leaving. The fresh scent of food wafted to her nose, and Shelby slowly sat up.

’I need to keep my energy for the little one...’

Her hand trembled as it drifted to her stomach, hesitating before pressing gently against the untouched, uncertain future growing within her. The realization sent a shiver through her ... not of fear or dread, but something else entirely.

Shelby’s breath caught as warmth bloomed in her chest, pushing past the despair that had consumed her. She brushed her hands on her dress to clean the filth and then wiped her tears.... Even though more flowed in its wake. A flutter of something unexplainable, something almost tender, filled the hollow space that had been carved into her heart.

"Are you really in there? Is it really true?"

A whisper, as soft as the night breeze, left her lips, her voice cracking and hoarse from all the crying.

The silence stretched around her, but it did not suffocate this time. Instead, it cradled her, as if the very air around her held its breath in reverence of this tiny, life-altering truth.

"D-addy is n-ot here, but M-ummy will a-lways be with you..."

Shelby’s fingers traced slow, reverent circles over her stomach, a soft smile ghosting over her lips despite everything. A new resolve settled within her, fierce and unwavering.

She sat in a way that she could reach the tray that had been brought. It was exquisite, and the food was mouthwatering. Shelby was starving for some reason. She picked a large piece of pie, but just before it got into her mouth, Shelby froze...

’Don’t ever eat any food given by a Fae other than me!’

Ian’s advice pierced through her chaotic state. She dropped the piece as if she had been scalded.

Whatever happened, whatever trials lay ahead, she would protect this life, but in order to do that, she had to protect herself. She would guard the fruit of their love with everything she had because the baby was theirs. The crown of their love, the piece of him that no one could ever take away.

Shelby kicked the tray away, scattering its contents. She dug into her inner pockets and brought out one of the vials. She chucked it all down, and the hunger disappeared almost immediately.

’Thank the heavens that Murray had the foresight to give me these...’

Shelby curled down on the cold floor, and more tears ran down her cheeks, soaking her arms. She was still thinking of what had happened earlier, when out of nowhere... warmth.

A solid, steady hand patted her back gently. Not cold, not ghostly... real. Her sobs paused, her entire body going rigid. Shelby’s breath came in shallow gasps as her heart pounded against her ribs.

"Why are you crying so?"

Her eyes shot wide open. That voice.

Impossible. Impossible.

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