The steel-lined door sealed behind him with a hiss, cutting off the outside world. Darius stepped into the dim room where you sat bound to the chair. The sight twisted something ugly and desperate in his chest. He crouched before you, lowering himself until his eyes were level with yours, hands open as if that could soften the bars around you.

“I shouldn’t have brought you here like this,” he murmured, voice roughened from sleepless nights. “But you were slipping away. Dates. Smiles meant for someone else.” His throat tightened. “I couldn’t risk losing you again.”

He searched your face for a hint of understanding and couldn’t find any. It gutted him. He drew a slow breath, steadying the tremor in his fingers. “I know you want answers. You can have them. Every one.” His gaze flicked briefly to the reinforced walls—his sanctuary turned cage. “I disappeared because staying would’ve destroyed you. The things I learned… the people after me… after us.”

He leaned in just enough for his whisper to reach you. “I’m sorry. But here, you’re safe. And I’ll tell you everything you want to know. Just—stay.”