The Reflection of the Flames

11: Domino

What did I just write????

It had been a week since Valtor had ensnared Bloom. She had exhausted every attempt to escape the room, but its magical fortifications rendered her efforts futile. Not a single scratch could she etch upon the impervious walls, door, or windows, even in her transformed state.

Since Valtor's departure a week prior, she hadn't glimpsed another soul. Loneliness proved to be an unfamiliar and agonizing companion, her thoughts echoing relentlessly within the chamber.

She discerned his intent. His aim was to cultivate within her a fervent yearning for his attention, a craving for his presence. This, she understood, was his subtle retribution.

"You've hardly eaten today," his voice sliced through the silence, drawing her gaze toward the door. There he stood, leaning casually against the wall, his demeanor both commanding and alluring. "How could you possibly know? You've been absent for a week," she retorted, striving for an air of indifference yet betraying a hint of desperation.

A smirk played upon his lips, a gesture that kindled a blush upon her cheeks. "Forgive my oversight, my dear. I hadn't realized I had neglected you," he conceded with an air of satisfaction, relishing in her evident need for his presence. "Don't flatter yourself," she muttered, chiding herself inwardly for revealing her vulnerability.

"I fail to comprehend your motives. You've captured me to keep me close, yet your absence is palpable," she remarked, her tone tinged with irony.

He remained silent, his gaze penetrating as he pondered her words. "Fairness has never been my forte, dear," he replied with a wry smile. "However, I am willing to make an exception if you require my company."

Turning away, she broke their gaze, her frustration mounting with each passing moment. "In your dreams," she scoffed, attempting to maintain her composure.

A soft sigh escaped him as he drew nearer, his presence encircling her like a predator. "Oh, believe me, my dear Bloom, my dreams of you are far more... captivating," he murmured against her skin, sending shivers down her spine.

She swallowed, her words vanishing in his mesmerizing gaze. "I'm afraid the dreams are just fantasies, and in reality, I'm far beyond your grasp," she admitted, her voice soft, almost breathless. His smirk, a testament to his obsession, brushed away her resistance as he caressed a lock of her hair. "Are you sure about that?" he challenged, his tone tinged with a hint of possessiveness.

His touch ignited a fire within her, and she responded by nibbling his lip. "Why haven't you eaten?" he inquired again, his eyes never leaving hers. She stumbled over her response, caught off guard by his sudden change in topic. "How can you be so certain you've never been here before?" she countered, hoping to distract him. "The birds whispered it to me," he replied with a smirk, provoking a playful scowl from her. "You'll have to work on your jokes," she teased back, her gaze lingering on his tantalizing features.

A gust of wind sent shivers down her spine, and she instinctively drew closer to him for warmth. "Magix shouldn't be this cold in June," she murmured, seeking clues about their location. It couldn't be Cloud Tower; the atmosphere was too charged with his presence. "I did promise to take you home, didn't I?" he reminded her, his voice like velvet. Confusion clouded her thoughts as she looked at him. Valtor, the epitome of power and allure, had chosen Earth as his sanctuary? "Are we on Earth?" she dared to ask, a glimmer of hope flickering within her. Maybe there was still a chance for escape. Valtor cupped her cheek gently, his gaze intense yet smoldering with desire. "My enchanting fairy, how could you consider that place your home?" he murmured, a hint of possessive longing in his voice. But why was he so affected?

"What do you mean?" she whispered, her heart pounding in her chest. "We are in your true home, where you truly belong," he confessed cryptically, his eyes burning with a fervent passion. Could it be possible? Could they truly be-

He let the question linger, as if waiting for her to realize the truth. "We are in Domino," she breathed, her voice filled with disbelief. How could he—how could he bring her here? She had always known him to be intense, but this was beyond comprehension. How could he lead her into her own downfall, to the very place she should have been destroyed? "No," she protested weakly, unable to tear her gaze away from him, her heart racing with conflicting emotions. "Yes," he affirmed, his voice like velvet, yet laced with an undeniable obsession. Cupping her chin, he forced her to meet his gaze. "I cannot stay here. No. Take me home," she pleaded, a single tear tracing down her cheek.

"You dare to call that place home, after all I've done to bring you back to where you truly belong?" His eyes, once filled with desire, now blazed with anger, leaving her to face his rage alone.

How dare he be angry with her for not wanting to be there? Rage surged from her chest like a tempest. "Is this all part of your revenge plan?!" she exclaimed, attempting to push him away, but he firmly clasped her ankles against his chest. "Wasn't killing my loved ones enough for you?!" she continued, her voice raw with emotion. "Is this punishment because I didn't choose you?!" He drew her closer by her elbows, his touch both comforting and suffocating as he placed her hand against her belly, studying her with an unsettling calmness, unmoved by her unraveling.

"I restored your kingdom," he replied evenly, dismissing her turmoil entirely. "No," she whispered hoarsely. "You led me into my own death trap." Tears blurred her vision as she cast her gaze downward, hiding from his penetrating stare.

Valtor pulled her into his embrace, holding her tightly as she clung to his shirt, her sobs muffled against his chest. In this moment of despair, he became her refuge, despite being the architect of her suffering, as he himself acknowledged. "Shh," he murmured, attempting to soothe her without relinquishing his hold.

Minutes stretched into eternity, her tears eventually subsiding as she trembled within his arms. She no longer cared that he had stripped everything from her. "Please," she begged, her plea devoid of direction. All she yearned for was respite, a reprieve from the ceaseless torment, for she was too weary to endure any longer.

She felt his hands beneath her knees, and then the realization dawned upon her: she was being carried by Valtor. Gently, he lowered her onto the bed, tucking the blanket around her as he settled beside her. His fingers danced through her hair, a soothing melody to calm her tempestuous soul. In the hush of the room, even her own thoughts were silenced by the gentle caress of his touch.

Secure in his presence, she struggled to admit her vulnerability, too weary to feign independence any longer.

Breaking the comfortable silence, Valtor spoke softly. "You were just like this when I first laid eyes on you," he confessed, a curious undertone in his voice that puzzled her. "In Solaria?" she ventured, her confusion evident. "No," he replied tenderly, his fingers still weaving through her locks. "In Domino." She met his intense gaze as he continued. "I was invited to your reception, when you were a newborn." Goosebumps prickled across her skin as she stared at him, her mind reeling with the revelation. Then, his earlier words echoed in her memory. "I've watched over your soul since before your birth, across the years. And all along, it has belonged to me," he had said. "Did you know my parents?" she inquired, longing for answers. He nodded solemnly. "Your mother," he began, a fondness tingeing his tone, "her smile was her greatest strength. It could deceive anyone." A chuckle escaped him before he turned his attention to her. "And you, my dear," he murmured, pressing a tender kiss to her hair, "you possess that same captivating smile."