The Stronghold was more lively than it had been since its re-establishment.

The knight stood at the top of a turret that overlooked the castle’s courtyard, his lips thin as he watched the royals rush back and forth. The crown prince issued orders to those around him, excitement at every step.

The return of Duke Thorne’s daughter was the worst-kept secret in the Stronghold.

The knight had never met the girl that had caused the castle to awaken nor had he ever been curious. She was just another noble who thought themselves better through their self-sacrificing spirit and wiser than their age eyes. It wasn’t anything he hadn’t seen before.

It wasn’t until he was tasked to join in the pursuit of the hunt that his interest was sparked.

He had the best intuition and speed among all the shadow knights, and the royals valued him for his quick thinking.

He was traveling in the trees when he first saw the female from farther away, jumping limberly from tree to tree catching up with the hunters on the ground.

The shadow knight signaled to the others behind him and they quickly acted. The hunters were arrested before the female could even strategize. His lips pulled into a thin smirk as he jumped behind her causing her to startle, a small mus-like squeak emitting from her. His hunter instincts were activated.

His claw-like hands grasped her sides, stopping his prey from falling from the tree in surprise. At the touch of her person, a flood of memories from another him eclipsed his mind’s eye.

An uppity noble lady visiting the Stronghold often. Friends with the crown prince. The eyes of the lady always looked upon Killian with wary disdain. A warning issued from her lips to his target. His execution of the enemy of the crown prince’s soon-to-be bride.

“It’s you.” His soft dangerous timbre caused a shiver to run down the lady’s spine in real time. She shrugged off his hold, only able to do so because he let her, and she shrunk away her back hitting the tree’s trunk.

He watched as shivers ran through her, her eyes locked on him but not yet meeting his eyes.

Her voice wavering ever so slightly as she spoke, “Don’t kill me.”

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“Who’s going to kill you?”

Large brown eyes fluttered until they met his ice blue. He was thrown into another memory, this time it was not his own from this time or another.

A girl that appeared pale white in a beam of light in a silver-walled room.

A strange creature with multiple limbs and a familiar sly look in its eyes.

“How is it that the timeline is different? 90124.5?” The girl in the light spoke with a curious voice.

An odd purr-like chuckle came from the multi-armed beast, “It would seem the heroine turned back time.”

A gasp came from the girl in the light, “Why? Didn’t she get everything she ever wanted when she had Vienna killed?”

Only silence met the question.

“Does that mean she will remember? She’ll come for me!”

The creature gestured towards the girl, “You will be a different Vienna Thorne, will you not?”

“I suppose, but it won’t matter if I’m killed by that assassin Adeena had tied around her little finger. He’ll chop me into little bits and feed me to those shark-like creatures before I can explain anything and that’s if I’m lucky.”

“A quick death.”

The girl threw back her head letting out a wry laugh that sounded hoarse even though she had no solid mass.

Her eyes were manic as she replied, “Oh yes…as long as he doesn’t enjoy playing with his prey before exterminating it. Of course, knowing myself if he ever appears before me, I’m sure I couldn’t help but spew crazy nonsense. Then he would prolong my suffering because he’d find me ‘interesting’.” The laugh grew until she was bent over, before she rose her eyes narrowed and a sneer upon her lips, “You might think he’d let me go then, but no I’d still die because his precious Adeena wanted me dead.”

Killian’s gaze cleared and narrowed upon the maiden before him. His lips lifted slightly at the corners and he watched as his new expression only made her more afraid.

“My father is looking for me. It would be best that I remain alive. He doesn’t take well to those hurting those he cares for.”

The shadow knight crawled towards her before locking her in place each hand on either side of her head.

“Who’s to say I will harm you?”

“Who’s to say you won’t?”

A chuckle emanated from him, “I suppose that’s true. I could find you ‘interesting’.”

She went pale and her lips trembled, “I assure you I’m not that.” She swallowed before sitting up and looking him straight in the eye, “I would rather not end up like one of your experiments strung up by the entrails as they are used as a swing.”

“Ooh…I’ve never thought of such before. I will have to use that next time.”

She nearly looked like the girl in that silvery room by how pale she had gotten.

“Please don’t.” She nimbly climbed around him on the limb of the tree swinging from one limb to another. “Either way I’ll most likely end up being killed…”

A gravelly voice called out from across the way. The trees seemed to shake in anger, “Who’s going to kill my little flower?”

The shadow knight rolled his eyes, “It seems I unintentionally frightened your beloved daughter, Duke Thorne. No harm has come to her.”

“I would hope not, Killian.”

The shadow knight known as Killian watched with dangerously curious eyes as the duke took away the young lady. A smirk upon his lips, his heart cold.