Chapter 43 Chapter 43
She exhaled shakily—the bell rang for the last time. The room went dark from one second to the next. Maxwell’s light was gone, and Valerie was all alone. Her pulse skyrocketed. She desperately tried to dispel the all-encompassing blackness, but not even her phone provided any light, which didn’t make any sense. No matter how many times she unlocked her screen, the device remained dark.
“Maxwell? Are you there?” she called out. She received no answer, and a glance at her wrist revealed that the mark had lost its glow. It continued to ache, constantly warning her of danger.
She was alone. She was all alone. How was that possible? The demon had just been on the other side of the room. He couldn’t just be gone. She panicked, but Maxwell’s light suddenly returned, and she faced a completely different scene. Something strange had occurred.
Maxwell’s hair had a slightly warmer shade, reminding her of a sunny blond, and his eyes were chocolate brown, glimmering softly. There was no chain on his face, and he wore no braids either. He smiled at her, the expression so kind and genuine that it puzzled her. He had never looked at her like this before.
“Maxwell? Is that you?” she asked reluctantly.
“Yes and no,” he replied, sounding exactly like him. “My name is Maxwell.”
“What?”
He smiled charmingly and came closer. His blond hair was styled in a different way than Maxwell’s, and he radiated a kind of warmth that the demon had never shown toward her.
She felt comfortable with him to the point where she trusted him immediately. Where did he come from, and why did he look similar to Maxwell? She didn’t understand at all.
“Why do you look like him?” she voiced her confusion. A sad frown clouded his face, and his sunny smile vanished.
“I’m his better half,” he answered ambiguously, “Everything he’s not.”
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“I’m his better half,” Maxwell answered. “Everything he isn’t.”
He vocalized what Valerie had been thinking since she had first seen him. Maxwell was very different from Maxwell—in a good way. He wasn’t scary or intimidating; he didn’t yell at or insult her, and looked human; more human than the demon could ever be. The longer she gazed at him, the more she wished he were the one she had been bonded to.
“You’re looking for someone, aren’t you?”
“How did you know?”
“You just called someone’s name, so I figured,” he remarked. A strand of his blond hair fell over his eyes, making him look adorable.
“Do you have any idea where my friends could be? They must have arrived a while ago,” she asked hopefully.
“I don’t; I’m sorry, but I can help you search for your friends if you want. You shouldn’t be here alone. It’s dangerous,” he answered and furrowed his brow in concern.
“Thank you, Maxwell. This place is less scary with someone like you around,” Valerie smiled, and he mirrored her expression, his chocolate eyes twinkling invitingly.
“I’m happy to be of help,” he said and held out his hand for her to take. She didn’t hesitate and put her hand in his palm, feeling his soft skin on hers. His hand encased Valerie’s, never once breaking eye contact.
He was handsome, and she easily got lost in his gentle gaze, making her feel comfortable and safe. The longer she looked at him, the more her nervous heartbeat calmed until it returned to a regular pace.
“Let’s go and look for your friends together.”
She squeezed his hand. “Yes,” she whispered, warmth blooming in her heart. Again, his smile was bright, lighting up his entire face. Seeing Maxwell’s face brimming with such warmth and gentleness was peculiar. It just didn’t fit together, and something about it weirded her out, but she didn’t dwell on the thought for too long.
“Please follow me,” Maxwell said, grinning like a happy puppy as he led her out of the room to the hallway. He still held her hand, and she wondered where he would take her.
The area they now reached wasn’t as rundown as the rest of the building. There was no dust, no cobwebs, no decay. Countless picture frames decorated the walls left and right of her, the people depicted in the photos smiling at her.
Only minutes later, they entered another hauntingly beautiful room with expensive and old furniture. A canopy bed stood opposite the window façade, and next to it, Valerie spotted a wooden wardrobe with flowers carved on its surface.
She was blown away by the beauty of this room, but didn’t understand why it looked so inviting compared to the rest of the house. It seemed like someone had been living here all this time.
“Maxwell?” she asked, prompting him to turn around to look at her.
“Yes? You look confused,” he chuckled. “Don’t you like this place?”
“It’s beautiful,” she replied. “But my friends aren’t here either.”
“We’ll have to continue our search,” he smiled. “We’ll find them soon, trust me.” She gazed into his chocolate eyes and was mesmerized by their inviting warmth, unable to look away.
Suddenly, raw pain flashed through her arm and half of her torso, causing her to stumble towards his chest. He embraced her, watching her with worry in his eyes. “What’s wrong? Valerie?”
She gasped, unable to bear the burning hot agony gnawing at her body. This wasn’t her pain; it was his. Valerie’s eyes widened in fear, and she turned around but couldn’t find a trace of who she was looking for. Of course not; he wasn’t here.
They had been separated. Valerie had never felt the demon’s pain before and knew it took a lot to hurt him. Her heart became heavy with concern, and her chest constricted as she worried about what was happening to Maxwell right at this moment. Was he in danger? Where could he be?
The pain in her body faded gradually, but a dull ache remained, telling her he was anything but safe. Looking up in Maxwell’s eyes, she felt bad that she had forgotten the demon so easily. What had she been thinking, following a stranger through a haunted mansion?