The corridor was suffocatingly quiet, the ancient stone walls slick with damp from the winter chill that crept through the castle like a living thing. You stood rooted to the spot, your breath shallow as Mattheo paced restlessly in front of you.

"You've made your decision, then?" he demanded, voice low.

Your hands clenched at your sides, trembling despite your best efforts. Still, your voice was steady when you spoke. "If I betray you, I betray myself," you said, each word deliberate and unyielding. "If I betray my brother, I betray my family. My family is very dear to me."

"Dearer than I?" he asked, the words barely louder than a whisper.

The air seemed to crackle between you, heavy with unspoken tension. Your breath hitched.

"No," you finally whispered, the word trembling on your lips. "No. Not dearer than you."

Your confession lingered in the air, raw and vulnerable. For a moment, Mattheo said nothing, his gaze piercing through you as if he were searching for cracks in your resolve.

"You mean that?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

"I do," you said without hesitation.

He took a step closer, the warmth of his presence cutting through the cold that wrapped around you. His fingers brushed against yours, hesitant at first, then more deliberate as they intertwined with your own.

"Then it's settled," he murmured, his lips curving into the barest hint of a smile. "We stand together, no matter what."

The weight of his words settled over you like a vow. You knew what standing by Mattheo meant — defying expectations. But you had made your choice.

"I'll hold you to that," you said softly, though a shadow of uncertainty flickered in your chest.

Mattheo tilted his head, eyes gleaming with something both tender and feral. "Good," he whispered. "Because if you ever change your mind, I won’t let you go so easily."

Your heart pounded in your chest. Choices, you knew, always came with consequences. And Mattheo would demand nothing less than everything from you.