Chapter 9: Her Trauma
"Shaking? Now you are afraid?" Eryx stood over her, his breath hard and fast. He was angry, but Lunara felt only fear. His words stung like a slap, making her heart race.
Lunara lay on the bed, her body stiff with fear as she stared up at him. She could feel the tension in the air, thick and suffocating. She wanted to say something, anything, to push him away, but the words caught in her throat.
"You've got a lot to say when it's safe. But now, you're just shaking," Eryx mocked, his eyes scanning her trembling form.
Lunara closed her eyes for a moment, gathering her courage. "I'm not afraid of you," she said, but the words were barely above a whisper. She hated how weak they sounded.
Eryx smirked, his eyes flashing with annoyance. "Really?" He leaned his face closer, his shadow falling over her. "Then why are you shaking?" His voice was cold, filled with contempt.
Lunara's chest tightened. She wanted to push him away, to fight back, but his body was too heavy, and it wouldn't even budge. "I'm not afraid of you," she repeated, her voice trembling despite her best effort.
"Really...?" Eryx leaned closer, his lips just an inch away from hers. "Shall we continue?" His breath tickled her lips, sending shivers through her body.
"Move!" Panic surged in her chest. "Get away from me!"
The words hung around the room when the memories came rushing back. She was seventeen again, trapped in a room with his father's friend, that same suffocating weight pressing down on her. His hands, his breath, his words, it was all too familiar. The room closed in on her, and for a moment, Lunara couldn't breathe.