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My fists clenched, my nails digging into my palms, frustration building within me. “How can it not be my concern?”
I remained silent for a moment, contemplating his words. The Goblin King was right. We had been playing a game, a game of wits, and it had been entertaining in its own strange way. But now, it felt like the game had changed. It felt like there was something more at stake, something bigger than just understanding each other.
The Goblin King's expression softened slightly, and he took a step closer to me. “I have my reasons, and they are important to me. I cannot share them with you at this time, but know that I am not your enemy. . .”
I stared at him, unsure of what to believe. His words were reassuring, but his actions spoke otherwise. The rotting orchard surrounding us was evidence of that.
“How can I trust you?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
“You will have to decide that for yourself.”
“You want to know what I think?”
He regarded me, waiting for me to explain. I looked up at him, meeting his gaze. “I don't think it's just a game anymore. Something's changed.”
He raised an eyebrow, his expression unreadable. “Oh?”
“I don't know what it is,” I admitted, “but I feel like there's more going on here.”
He studied me for a moment, his gaze intense. “You're right,” he finally said. “There is more going on here.”
Another shiver ran down my spine at his words. What did that even mean? But before I could ask, he took a step closer, his eyes fixed on mine. I held my ground, feeling the tension between us rise with every passing second. His smoldering gaze held mine, and I couldn't help but feel both curious about him and wary of him at the same time. I didn't know what was going to happen next, but I knew that I needed to be prepared for anything.
“Tell me, what do you think is going on here?” he asked, his voice low and measured.
I hesitated for a moment, trying to put my thoughts into words. “I'm not sure,” I said slowly. “But I think there's something wrong with this place. Something. . . unnatural. And I think that you have something to do with it.”
He didn't flinch at my accusation. Instead, he studied me intently, as if he was trying to read my mind. “And what makes you think that?” he asked, his voice still calm and steady.
I took a deep breath, trying to gather my thoughts. “I don't know,” I said finally. “It's just a feeling I have. Like there's something. . . off about you. And about this place. Like there's something hiding beneath the surface that we can't see.”
He nodded slowly, as if he was considering my words. “You're not wrong,” he said finally. “There is something going on here. Something that I've been trying to understand, something about you.”
I raised an eyebrow, feeling both intrigued and suspicious. “and what is that?” I asked.
“You're different,” he said simply.
I felt a knot form in my stomach at his words as I looked up at him, trying to gauge his intentions, but his expression was unreadable.
“Different? How?”
He tilted his head, studying me intently, his voice low and intense. “You don't fear me, you don't cower in my presence. You challenge me. You make me question everything I thought I knew.”
I felt a mix of emotions at his words. On the one hand, I was suspicious of his intentions. On the other hand, I was intrigued by him. But the Goblin King was not to be trusted, that much I knew.
“How?” I asked, feeling a mixture of curiosity and apprehension.
“I don't know, but there's something about you that draws me to you. Something that I can't resist.”
“I. . .”
I had failed to notice it before, but now my eyes fixated on the apple he held in his hand, its shiny red skin glistening under the sun. The Goblin King noticed my gaze and lifted it up, tempting me with its sight. My stomach grumbled loudly, reminding me of my hunger. It had been almost two days since I had last had anything, and I could feel my energy dwindling.
As he held out the apple to me, memories of a dream from the previous night flashed in my mind. I remembered seeing an apple flying across, but who had she been? Was she someone important to him? The thought pained me, and my heart ached at the possibility of him having another connection, someone who held more value to him than I did.
This was a bit cruel, what he was doing.
He held it out for me to take. I wanted to, oh did I want to, but thiswasa game, right? And I had no idea what his next move would be. He took a step closer to me, the apple outstretched. His boots crunched in the dirt as he took another steady toward me. The expression on his face did not change though, it remained a solid mask of indifference. And I would not cower back; I would not yield.
