Chained Hearts: From Slavery to Sovereignty
Chapter 87: Prince Dorian?

Chapter 87: Chapter 87: Prince Dorian?

Standing just a few steps away from him was Prince Dorian.

Cassian took a sharp breath. It was unmistakably him. The strong and regal face he knew so well was framed by soft, inky black hair that caught the faint moonlight filtering through the trees. What truly froze Cassian in place were Dorian’s eyes.

The gentle and piercing black eyes with a hint of red that had always looked at him with warmth and trust now shimmered with pain, hurt and betrayal.

Prince Dorian stepped forward. His expression wavered between anger and sorrow. His voice cracked as he spoke. "You don’t love me. Do you?"

Cassian’s lips parted, but no sound came out.

Dorian continued. "You love Aurelia, don’t you? The princess you protected. The one you chose over me." His tone was filled with bitterness, but the most glaring thing was the pain in his eyes.

"Your Highness..." Cassian’s voice was barely a whisper.

"Don’t call me that," Dorian interrupted Cassian as though the title was a blade he couldn’t bear to feel. "How could you leave me? After everything, you just... left!"

The words struck Cassian like a hammer to the chest, each word tearing apart the fragile wall he had built around his heart.

A chill ran down his spine, and his grip on his sword faltered. His thoughts spun wildly; he was trying to make sense of what he was seeing, what he was hearing.

This couldn’t be real.

And yet, it felt too real.

Cassian said with a low and strained voice, his throat tight. "Prince... I didn’t... I wouldn’t—"

"Then why did you abandon me?" Dorian took another step forward, his tone breaking into desperate pleas. "Do you know what it felt like? Watching you leave without a word? Did I mean nothing to you?"

"I..." Cassian faltered, his words caught in his throat.

"Answer me!" Dorian’s voice thundered in Cassian’s ears, shaking Cassian to his core.

Cassian’s heart raced. The memories he tried hard to forget came crashing back to him. His chest tightened at the thought that maybe the prince was searching for him, yearning for him the same way he yearned for him.

But no, Cassian shook his head; how could it be? He was just nothing more than a mere servant with no status. Who would even remember him?

But this... This couldn’t be real...but the pain he was feeling was real.

Cassian stood in the silence that followed with his chest heaving. .

This was no time for weakness.

Cassian’s heart pounded in his chest as the figure of Prince Dorian stepped closer. His gentle eyes were filled with pain and longing. The forest around them was eerily silent as if holding its breath. The figure reached out with arms open and drew Cassian toward him.

"No more running." The voice whispered softly. It was filled with longing. "I will never leave you again."

Cassian’s breath hitched as the illusion’s arms wrapped around him. His own arms instinctively encircled the familiar form. The warmth felt almost real. The pain in Dorian’s voice stirred something deep within him.

"I am sorry." The figure of Dorian murmured. His voice broke with emotion. "Please forgive me."

Cassian’s eyes burned. The words seared into his soul. He spoke without thinking. His voice was shaky yet determined. "I will never leave you again."

The illusion of Dorian smiled softly. He tilted his head as if to place a kiss on Cassian’s lips. Time seemed to slow. The world around them blurred into a haze.

The warmth and the softness and the love felt so real. Just as their lips were about to meet, then in a flash, Cassian’s instincts snapped into focus.

His sword was still in his hand. He thrust it into the figure’s chest. It pierced through the illusory skin with a sickeningly smooth motion. The figure’s smile twisted into an agonized expression. It screamed in pain.

"No," it shrieked. Its voice warped into something dark and distorted. "You betray me just like before. Just like when you plunged your sword into my heart."

The words struck Cassian like a fist to his gut. The same pain and the same accusation overwhelmed him. His heart plummeted as the illusion of Dorian collapsed.

A tortured grimace overtook its face. The forest around him began to spin. The vision starts blurring. It began to crumble. Cassian’s chest tightened. The memory and the familiar pain of betrayal surged to the surface.

The illusion’s face warped further. Its once-gentle eyes now burned with malice. They reflected nothing but the monster behind the face of Prince Dorian.

Cassian felt disgusted as he looked at the monster who tried to take the form of Prince Dorian, and the anger surged inside him even more.

How could he allow such a filthy creature to ruin his highness’s image?

He knew the monster was spitting lies, but still he could not help but tremble as the cruel words settled in his heart.

"I did not betray you," he muttered under his breath. His voice was barely a whisper.

As the monster writhed in agony, the illusion continued to taunt him. "You have always betrayed me, Cassian. You left me just like before. Just like when you killed me."

A cold and nauseating chill spread through Cassian. His stomach turned. The pain in his chest felt sharp. He refused to give in. The words were poison. They were lies woven by the Dreamweaver to exploit his deepest regrets and fears.

"No," Cassian breathed. His voice steadied with resolve as he twisted the sword deeper into the illusion. "I will not fall for this."

With a sickening scream, the illusion shattered. The figure of Prince Dorian collapsed into a pile of dark smoke. The threads connecting it to the Dreamweaver snapped into the air.

Cassian stood still. His chest heaved as the taunting words of the false Dorian faded. His heart still ached, but he forced himself to focus. The pain was real. The prince in front of him was not here.

The monster’s attempt to manipulate him with Dorian’s face had failed. He needed to stay strong no matter how much it hurt.

But still his mind was playing the same taunting words of the prince Dorian’s illusion, Cassian clenched his head with pain, no matter how much he tries to forget him and the past.

It will resurface and tear him apart.

Cassian sneered at his weakness that a mere illusion of Prince Dorian was enough to break him apart; then what will happen when he encounters him in real life?

He can only hope that the day never comes.

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