Obsessed to Hate Him Chapter 3: Captive

LIAM

Realization strikes like a dagger to my chest, sharp and unrelenting. My heart clenches, sweat beads form on my hairline, and my pulse thunders in my ears. Survival instincts flare as I stagger back, nearly tripping. My hood slips down, exposing my face to the towering figure before . I force my expression to remain neutral, though panic crawls beneath the surface.

Kian's eyes bore into mine, sharp and calculating, as if he is stripping down my thoughts layer by layer. "Who are you?" he asks, his voice low and edged with suspicion. "How did you get here? This place is off-limits."

I swallow hard, stepping back again. "I-I got lost," I stamr. Lying cos as naturally as breathing when you've spent years navigating the politics of the Sylvyran court, but his gaze makes my skin crawl.

Kian lifts a suspicious eyebrow at my words, not quite believing . "Are you a magic wielder?"

This is the last thing I want people to know about because there are very few people on the continent who can't control their magic, and I am one of them. It will be easier for the enemy to identify if they know it. But for now, if the information allows to get away from this man alive, then I am willing to give it away.

"Yes," I answer ekly, trying to put on the act of a fragile youth, which I appear to be.

Kian's blazing eyes narrow further to slits, he knows just what I am thinking and this is unnervingly terrifying, "Which kingdom are you from? Oblivara or... Solaryn?" There is sothing in Kian's tone when he ntions Solaryn's na that I can decipher. Sothing that I can only na as hatred. And the feeling is mutual.

On the off chance, I am going to admit that I'm from Solaryn. I know better than that. "I am from Oblivara." I take in air through my mouth and let it out through my nose in an attempt to calm my skyrocketing pulse, but I make sure to look anxious and a bit scared.

"You are from Oblivara?" Kian's eyebrow raises further to his forehead. "From where exactly?"

"I am a wanderer," I reply almost instantly. "I wander around the kingdom." This is the best fabrication I can co up with right now.

Kian pauses as he tilts his head slightly and studies intently. I clench my fists to prevent my nerves from losing it and push a dagger through him.

Soone approaches us, possibly the man who was calling Kian just a mont ago. "Commander Eyrx? Thank God I found you...—" The man's eyes drift to . "—May I know if the Commander knows who this individual is?"

"I also don't have any intel on this man, Fred." Kian shakes his head, though he never takes his eyes off as if I will disappear into thin air if he does, and well, without any doubt, I will actually vanish if he does.

"C-Can I go now...?" I take the chance to pipe in.

"No." Kian looks like he has made up his mind, and I can feel a bitter taste on the tip of my tongue at Kian's announcent. I have a bad feeling about this. "You are going to Oblivarae with us. I can't just let you go like this."

Oh yeah, luck is never on my side, is it?

A feeling of foreboding settles inside my bones alongside hatred and self-preservation.

My mind starts to flip through the options I have right now. Attacking Kian is suicide. The man is towering, easily four inches over six feet, his silhouette cutting through the fog like a fortress. Tales of his strength weren't just exaggerated rumors—they were terrifying truths. Running from him would leave at an even greater disadvantage. And going with will be walking straight into the enemy's den. But this is the only option that seems suitable right now. I will sohow slip free when I reach the capital.

"W-Why?" I stumble back, putting on a scared mask.

Kian's arm shoots out and grabs my wrist, "Because I said so," he states, his voice is rough and commanding, yet there is sothing in it that makes want to hear it even more. Then Kian starts to drag with him. Fred, the guard, starts to follow his boss.

This path may lead toward my death, but at least I have enough ti to plan my escape.

***

I sotis do many unfathomable things, like just now. Like how I am burning a hole through the other man's head before . Well, this is certainly not my fault. Because this is what I tell myself. The fault is Kian's for being this breathtaking, this exquisite.

Right now, I am sitting across from Kian in his furnished carriage. By its look, it is crystal clear that the carriage is privileged for high-ranking military officers. And Kian is the commander. This is not surprising after all. I am assuming that we are heading toward the capital of Oblivara, Oblivarae.

But I am losing track of my thoughts again and again. I am kind of srized by the other man's beauty. Kian is like a perfect sculpture crafted by the Gods themselves. And the more I scrutinize the man before , the more astonished I beco. Because Kian is the definition of perfection.

Kian Eyrx is devastating. Perfectly sculpted features, piercing blue eyes, body packed with steel-like muscles, and an aura that commands the room effortlessly. Yet, the fire in my chest refuses to be snuffed out by admiration—it is fueled by the grief of my brother's death and hatred for the murderer.

anwhile, Kian is staring at so intently that I feel as if the other man's blue eyes are penetrating my soul, making vulnerable and exposed to his sight. There is sothing more to Kian's expression that I can't quite interpret. The look on Kian's face is making even more uncomfortable and restless than it should be.

The two of us are staring so blatantly at each other that neither of us has the face to bring up the question, "Why are you staring at ?" though our eyes are speaking the unspoken.

Suddenly, the carriage cos to a halt, jerking both of us out of our thoughts inside it.

"Commander Eyrx, we have arrived," Fred announces in his formal tone as he opens the door of the carriage for seemingly Eyrx because duh, he wouldn't open the door for .

"After you." Kian beckons, his deep voice bouncing around my head.

I don't answer, just give him a light nod and step down from the carriage. I take in the sight before , which astonishes even more than I anticipated.

Solaryn and Oblivara are the powerhouses of the eastern continent from ancient tis. Both are very resourceful and rich in natural beauty. But I never expected Oblivara to be this rich. I am surrounded by towering castles, which are seemingly the headquarters of the imperial army of Oblivara. It takes all of to lock my jaw to prevent it from falling. I can vaguely fathom that the towers and the grounds are more vast than the royal palace of Sylvyran.

I take in my surroundings with my wide eyes, my head tilted back, astonishnt evident on my facial features. The main castle is the smallest as it stands before the looming castles behind it. The central gate is firmly shut and on the front yard, there is a small stone bridge that connects the island—where all the castles are stationed—to the actual world which is isolated by a rushing river at least 40 feet below the stone bridge. There are two larger thicker stone gates— which are at least 12 feet thick, 10 feet wide, and 15 feet tall—on both sides of the bridge, to prevent any kind of unauthorized entries.

The front yard of the stone fortress is preoccupied by row after row carriages but there is still space left for at least another 100 carriages. And the fortress... is sothing that reminds of those vampire tales I read to pass my free ti. Shady and unnerving.

"Move your feet." Kian orders, "Get inside."

I blink and my trance breaks. I don't look over my shoulder and with slow, asured steps I enter the enormous fortress. And gulp. Well, my earlier 'shady and unnerving' was just an understatent for what this stone fortress is from the inside.

The courtyard is nearly empty except for a few uniford military mbers walking around. They salute Kian as they spot him, which he barely acknowledges with a tight nod. There are too many staircases, rooms, and hallways, and my head is overloaded with the layout.

This is not ti for this, Liam. A voice inside my head chides. And it dawns on .

I whirl around and raise my eyebrow at Kian who was observing my every single movent—even the slow motions that my chest makes as I breathe in and out. "What do you plan to do with now?"

Kian doesn't take his eyes off as he answers, "You are staying here." His answer is clipped and short, his tone bland.

My eyebrows jump to my forehead in surprise, "Excuse ?" I can't believe what I am hearing. It takes all of not to reach out and clean my ear then make Kian repeat his words.

By his face, I can tell even Fred is shocked.

It is as if Kian can read just what I am thinking and repeat it for : "You are suspect found on the borderlines of Oblivara—which is very suspicious itself. Maybe you are sent from Solaryn as a spy—or worse you could be even from Nyxvarral. I cannot let you roam free in this kingdom. You are too much of a risk."

Well, he is not wrong... shit. Hey Gods, why is it always ?

"So, you will stay under my observation until you are clear." Kian inclines his head toward Fred, motioning him to do sothing. Fred nods and with a salute, he strides off. Kian turns to again, "This is my fortress and from now on, I expect your full company, mister—" He raises an eyebrow.

I force down my indignation and stutter slightly to fabricate a na, "L-Lain Wilder."

Gods help , if he sees through this...