Ivan: See you in a few hours. 'grinning emoji.'
Grinning I quickly typed.
Seraphina: Waiting. 'blushing'.
Finishing with my assignments, I cleared the table to grab my clothes and eyed the sweater I was looking forward to wearing. It was a chunky knitted beige cardigan. Simple V-neckline with red bows evenly distributed across the front. Fastened down the centre with matching red buttons. It was a gift from my father. I adored this sweater more than my life. And wearing this after two years gave me a sense of nostalgia.
I grabbed my boot-cut jeans and changed into the clothes. It was chilly so I wore a red turtle neck underneath the sweater and combed my hair. I washed my hair yesterday and thankfully they were not looking like a bird's nest anymore. It took me several minutes to decide what I should do with them. Heaving a defeated sigh, I plated the small sections and put small bows. Perfect.
Applying my lip gloss, I smacked them together. I looked good actually, if I ignored the dark circles and few breakouts I tried to cover them with concealer. A strange tingly sensation crawled up my stomach making me feel giddy. Date. I was going on a date for the first time in my life. Satisfied with my look, I grabbed my phone to see another text from Ivan.
Ivan: Asian or American?
I teased my bottom lip feeling all kinds of emotions.
Seraphina: Chinese. 'Chopsticks emoji.'
Calling a cab, I grinned ear to ear like a teenager getting asked out for the first time. Irony. It was my first time actually. Never in my school life or teens I ever showed interest in boys, simply because they were just horny little pigs wanting a one-night stand rather than a girl. All of this had me distance myself away from them, and there came a time when I hated the male population altogether. This one time, a guy from my class asked me to be his girlfriend. I broke his nose.
And the next day his ex-girlfriend broke mine.
I almost laughed recalling the look on her face when I butted my head on her face knocking two of her teeth.
Anyway, the point here was- my first-ever date. Potential date.
Another forty minutes and I was in front of the gigantic mansion. Hoping the gates were open and I didn't have to jump the wall again, I crossed my fingers. To my relief it was open. Jogging to the entrance, I wrapped the cardigan tighter around my torso. There was something oddly chilly about this place than the rest of the city, either it was because it was surrounded by the forest and stood alone in the middle of nowhere, or I was wearing fewer clothes.
Or because a certain someone lived here.
Whatever, I just needed to do my work and get the hell out of here. I frowned noticing the door was locked and was about to knock on it when it opened from the other side. My knuckles almost knocked on Kyle's chest. Embarrassed, I cradled my fist and gave him a cheesy smile.
"Good evening," He didn't reply, instead his eyes quickly raked over me and his brows narrowed.
He did not say anything and stepped to the side, letting me in. The warmth engulfed me and I sighed in relief. Ignoring him, I jogged to the stairs and was about to climb when Kyle's monotonous voice stopped me.
"Mr. Romanovski is in the library." I looked over my shoulder to find him still standing near the door, though there was a bothered expression on his face. "Next to his office."
I nodded and rushed to the library. What was he doing there if he was blind? Who knows! Men did many things that baffled me, like wearing socks with sandals or insisting they didn't need directions because they could feel their way there.
Finding the library wasn't hard. I knew my way to this floor, though I was not allowed to enter any other room except Judas's only if he wanted me there or his office. The door that led to the library was just like his office-wooden and large. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves seemed to skyrocket in his presence and knocked on the door.
No response. I knocked again, yet there was just an unnerving silence that answered me. Sighing, I twisted the knob, and strangely, the door opened. Peeking my head in, I found the immense darkness greeting me. My gaze wavered and my eyes narrowed. I could barely see inside, and a sudden chill settled in my bones. I called out timidly, "Mr. Romanovski?"
The thickened silence suffocated me. I swallowed the lump in my throat and gathered my courage to enter. My hand still holding onto the knob as I opened the door fully to let the light from the hallway enter. To my dismay, it barely did anything to mask the darkness. It happened just in a fleeting moment as I caught a movement in my periphery. A startled gasp left my mouth at the sudden movement and my hand slipped off the knob, the door shut behind me with a loud thud.
Instinctively I latched onto the door only to find it locked. The knob wouldn't budge. Sweat tickled the back of my neck, the single drop trailing down my spine.
"Mr. Romanovski?" The darkness pulsed swallowing my whispered words. Shadows slithered along the walls, flickering in the corners of my vision. The air was heavy, laden with the musty scent of old books and something else-something metallic and faintly sweet.
"Mr. Romanovski?" I called again, this time I could hear my voice trembling. The darkness shifted, and I could almost swear I heard a soft chuckle, just beyond the edge of hearing. I took another step forward, the chill deepened to seep into my bones. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, and I felt the weight of unseen eyes watching me from the shadows.
Something wasn't right.
I barely had time to see it coming, process or breathe before I felt a sharp pain in my back as something slammed my body against the bookshelf roughly. Someone. Rough hands wrapped around my throat, slithering long fingers curving around my neck, and I instinctively wrapped mine around his. I couldn't see him; I couldn't hear him. But he was there. Draped in darkness.
With his hard body pressed against my front. My eyes wavered with fear and I tried to see his face in the darkness.
"Ты пахнешь по-другому, птичка." Familiar rich deep voice heightened my fear, the hand around my throat loosening its grip for a fleeting moment. The dangerous scent of wood and leather. Danger and sin.
(You smell different, little bird.)
I swallowed struggling to find my words. To make it worse, I didn't understand what he just said. The darkness shifted as he took a step back giving me enough space to breathe. But I couldn't. Not when I could see nothing but his eyes that gleamed with a predatory hunger, pale blue eyes, never left mine as he took a slow, deliberate step closer. The shadows deepened around him, swallowing the light and casting suffocating darkness like Satan decided to walk the earth in all his glory.
My breath hitched, and a cold sweat broke out on my skin. W-What was he doing?
"What... what do you mean?" I finally managed to stammer my voice barely a whisper, trembling.
A twisted smile spread across his face.
Smile that could put death to shame. Remember when I said he reminded me of the wild beasts in the forest behind my home? No. Not the wild beasts. He was the darkness that scared me to enter that forest, the fear of the unknown.
He leaned in, his breath icy against my ear. Every instinct screamed at me to run, to get away from the danger lurking in his eyes. Yet, my feet remained rooted to the spot, paralyzed by the terror of the unknown.
"You reek of fear," he hissed. "And I haven't tasted it in a very long time."
I took a step back, but the darkness in the form of this dangerous man pressed in closer. His presence was suffocating. I looked around but there was barely any escape. The door was locked and I didn't know what psychotic episode he was having. Was he mentally unstable too?
He chuckled. "It's intoxicating. Tell me, ptichka, do you think you can fly?"
My heart pounded in my chest a frantic rhythm of terror. He reached out, a clawed hand tracing a cold line along my cheek, leaving a trail of burning ice in its wake. I couldn't move, couldn't breathe, as his touch seemed to seep into my very soul, separating me from the inside out.
"Such delicious darkness," he murmured, almost to himself. "I think I'll enjoy tearing it from you, piece by fragile piece." I swallowed hard, ready to slam my knee where the sun never shone if he tried anything, but that never came.
I slowly opened my eyes as I sensed his presence receding. The lights above flickered, making me jump, and my knees nearly buckled. And I realised I was holding my breath. My gaze darted to him fearfully. This time, he wasn't looking at me; his back was turned. As usual, he wore a robe and matching trousers, his towering height making the room feel smaller. I swallowed hard, my hands pressed against the bookshelf as I contemplated my next move. There was no way I was staying in this room a second longer.
Keeping my eyes on him, and with sweaty hands, I slowly took small steps towards the door. It didn't matter if it was open or not, I wouldn't know unless I knew for myself.
I didn't realise the cardigan I was wearing had travelled down my shoulder. I was just a step away from the door when his gravelly voice stopped me.
"Read it." I looked at him in confusion. What? "It's been a while."
He slowly turned around, and I noticed a book in his hands. When did he pick it up? And how the hell was he looking at me? My doubts flared and I didn't make any move to move towards him. My eyes narrowed with fear instilled in me and I observed him. Simultaneously, my hand reached for the knob behind me and I twisted it. To my utter horror, it was locked.
His eyes wavered, and he tilted his head. "Are you scared?"
For god's sake, I couldn't tell if he was looking at me or not. And that messed with my head. I slowly took cautious steps towards him and grabbed the vase my eyes landed on earlier. He didn't flinch. I was a step away and I raised the vase above my head and got ready to slam it against his head to see if he'd budge like a normal human.
To my shock, he did not.
I felt like I was going insane. My hands trembled and I quickly put the vase on the table with a shaky breath. My eyes moved shakily to the book in his hands and I took in the title.
Conquer fear.
We become the darkness others fear.
His words from earlier rang in my head. And I took the book from his hands. My hands trembling, my lips parched and sweat trickling down my spine. I flipped through the pages and my eyes almost popped out of the sockets when I read the quote written on the front page.
You reek of fear. And I haven't tasted it in a very long time.
Wasn't this what he said earlier? Confusion bubbled, anger simmered as I flipped the pages.
Such delicious darkness, I think I'll enjoy tearing it from you, piece by fragile piece.
Was he... Was he saying the quotes from the book earlier?
I snapped my head at him, but he was already looking at me. He was looking at me. This blind man was looking at me. His piercing eyes lit up amused, sinfully crafted lips curved, and I noticed, under the dim light and amidst the panic attack I was about to have.
He had a dimple.
*******