Chained Hearts: From Slavery to Sovereignty
Chapter 56: Hey! Where did you come from?

Chapter 56: Chapter 56: Hey! Where did you come from?

In a dark, dimly lit room, the viper slithered slowly, making no sound. Its golden runes shone in the darkness of night. If not for those runes, it would have been impossible to detect its presence.

The viper moved inconspicuously into the corner of the room, slithering up the hand rest of the throne and carefully wrapping itself around the man’s hand, looking all submissive and docile—far from the hostile creature it had been moments before.

"Did you find something unusual?" a deep voice resonated in the darkness of the chamber.

The man seated on the throne slowly opened his dark eyes and gazed into the vastness before him, his eyes like swirling masses of darkness, capable of absorbing even the faintest light.

The viper hissed softly and replied, "Master, she has indeed returned from the Demon World, but I doubt she would be foolish enough to try something this reckless."

The man lifted his jade-like hand and gently stroked the viper’s head. The viper immediately closed its eyes, basking in its master’s affection.

"Keep track of her movements, especially when she’s near Cassian. I find it hard to believe she will do nothing after meeting him," the man said with a slight smile, adding, "After all, she is just like him—a little troublemaker." He chuckled softly.

The viper raised its head to observe its master, noting the rare smile that appeared on his face. There was only one person capable of bringing this expression to his master’s face, and that was him.

Even though the master was speaking of Lyra, the viper knew he was actually lost in thoughts of that person.

Since that moment, his master had grown more ruthless, devoid of even a trace of softness. He had become a walking corpse without a soul.

Though he claimed to hate that person, he couldn’t live without him; even the smallest news of him was enough to lift his master’s mood.

The viper, lost in its own thoughts, climbed from the man’s hand to his upper body, draping itself over the man as he leaned back on the majestic throne.

The sight was intimidating—a massive viper coiled around the man, its tail hanging over the armrest and its head nestled against the man’s thick, muscular neck.

The scene would send chills down anyone’s spine. For an ordinary person, the sight of the viper’s massive body alone would be terrifying, let alone touching it.

But the man seated on the throne did not flinch, appearing accustomed to its presence for a long time.

~~~~~

As the morning sunlight filtered through the curtains and brightened the room, Cassian was stirred awake from his deep slumber. He slowly opened his eyes, adjusting to the brightness around him, but he didn’t make any move.

His eyes were still blank. Cassian remembered everything; he couldn’t believe that a dream could feel this real.

He recalled every detail from last night. If he could describe it, he would say it didn’t feel like a dream at all, but rather like a memory he had forgotten. A tear slipped from his eye.

But no matter how hard he tried to remember, he couldn’t recall ever going to such a dangerous place or being chased to the point of death.

The pain had felt so real and agonizing. He clenched his chest, feeling his heart beat faster at the mere thought of going through that pain again.

And lastly, who was that man who appeared at the end? It was funny; he remembered every single detail from the dream, but he couldn’t remember the man’s face.

After that man’s arrival, his memory had become hazy. No matter how much he tried to remember, he couldn’t.

It only hurt his head, and the pain was another trauma for him. He held his forehead, feeling the same hurt as he tried to recall those memories, just like last night.

The pain shot through his head like a searing needle. He clenched his head, and a groan escaped his throat.

Sweat broke out on his forehead as the pain increased instead of lessening.

James wasn’t there to help him; he was alone. James had left for a week on a trip with a noble.

Cassian gathered his legs to his chest and lay in a fetal position. He had to calm down and stop thinking about the aftermath of the dream, or it would only make it worse.

He slowly exhaled and inhaled, trying to divert his mind somewhere else. He closed his eyes, and stopped thinking about the gruesome dream, and thought about the handsome face of his prince—yes, his Prince Dorian.

It is the only way he could found some comfort.

After a moment of stillness and labored breathing, which was the only sound in the room, he finally calmed down, and the pain in his head began to decrease.

Then he felt something soft licking his face. At first, he thought his mind was playing tricks on him. But then the soft, wet touch on his face increased. His eyes instantly snapped open.

A little white kitten appeared in front of his face, licking him with its soft pink tongue.

Cassian immediately shot up from the bed and looked at the tiny creature on the bed, which jumped away as he snapped out of his haze.

The kitten gave him an accusing look, its eyes filled with tears, as if Cassian had wronged her beyond measure.

"Um! Sorry."

Cassian found himself speaking to the little kitten without even realizing it.

The kitten’s expression instantly brightened when she heard his apology. She walked toward him with her short legs, looking more like she was hopping toward him.

He was dumbfounded, seeing the human-like expression on the little kitten, as though she understood that he had apologized to her.

"Meow!" The kitten screeched, looking at Cassian’s dumbfounded expression.

She gave him a side-eye.

Cassian truly thought the little kitten was looking down on him.

"Hey! Where did you come from?" He gently nudged her.

"Meow!!!"