You always saw her, lingering at the back of the crowd. Her eyes solely on you, as if you were the only thing that was in the room. She was always there, yet at the end she would disappear. Another person on her seat, as if she never existed.
Vibrant red eyes, hazel hair, she looked liked the epitome of perfection. You never met her, but it feels like you know her. Like a broken record, repeating the same phrase, over and over again. She always lingered in your mind, always there at the edges.
Oddly enough, she never spoke to you nor did you ever speak to her. You'd make attempts to engage the crowd, just to hear her voice, but somehow that wasn't the case. Something would always happen, a mic stopped working, a guest starts asking too much questions, and so on and so forth.
But you know, deep down, she was the same person. The same person who watched your talks every where. The same person who smiled at you encouragingly every time you'd fumble at your speech. The same person who lovingly smiled at you when you finish and stands to give you an ovation.
Until, there was one day, she didn't arrive. She wasn't there as you spoke in front of everyone, your eyes scanned the room to see her, any traces of her. But the black and gold dress was nowhere to be found.
Your joy deflated, but you manage to continue the speech. The standard clapping and standing ovation was given, but it felt empty, hollow, as if it was nothing.
Another day, and you were off to give another speech, much to your dismay she wasn't there. She probably didn't have the means or the need to visit, so you'd rationalise. But prior, she attended each and everyone, as if she truly cared for what you said.
But she was just human.
Her appearance (or lack thereof) to your speeches startled you. Without words or interaction, she somehow managed to become your everything. Your rock, your stability, and most importantly, your friend.
So you searched for her, through the log books and the papers. You slogged through all the leads, people, dead ends, and hints, just to try and find her. But there was nothing, no trace of who she is.
Frustration grated on your nerves and you fly back to your home, a former city, that turned into a town. Years when you were younger, you had inherited the mansion of your grandfather. He left in your care, 5 servants, who later fled and disappeared into the night.
As you arrive at the rusted gates, a familiar throbbing sensation greeted you. It was in the air, as if something was pulsing, living, as if you were inhaling life itself.
You pack your bags and with the help of a few hired assistants, manage to pack your stuff in the mansion. Over the years, it aged well, despite you not living in it. You had arranged for people to occasionally drop by to clean and maintain the functionality.
They seemed to have done their job quite well, since everything was up and running. Nothing seemed to have changed, except for a few electronics like the T.V and the refrigerator, and the stoves, and other things.
You breathe in, and start the long process of putting your stuff out, and sorting them. Helping hands did little with the amount of books, medals, and trophies that you had so graciously earned.
For a 25 year old, you did pretty well.
As you finished, you wearily enter the master bedroom, where a sheet of white fabric lay, to keep the dust and dirt away from the bed. With still a few more boxes to store, you flop onto your bed and fall asleep.
Waking up, was nightmare. Your body was sore in so many places, you felt stiff and dirty because you didn't take a bath. To add to your growing list of luck, there were a lot of dust floating in the air, waiting for you to inhale them, and choke.
You sigh and grumble, but push yourself up and begin the cumbersome task of moving in. A quick shower, and a quick fried breakfast (whoever kept this house stocked with fresh food deserves to be blessed) had you moving the remaining boxes and finish before lunch.
After cooking up a good lunch, you settle on a couch in the living room. You were content, to finish moving, but the reason for your moving was not lost on you. You still needed to find her, find the enigmatic enigma.
So off you went, into your grandfathers study. Opening it, you were greeted by a dusty old bookshelf. Understandably you never told anyone to go in here. There was a lot of family secrets and objects here so you didn't want anyone getting it.
As you transfer your books on the table. A familiar leather bound book caught your attention. A strange seal lay on top of it, but when you run down your hand across its spine you feel the same pulsating energy.
Eagerly, you flip it open, to find pages upon pages of your grandfathers handwriting. It was about so many things, demons, angels, vampires, devils, and so much more. You begin reading, and for some odd reason, you felt like something was being released.
You spend the rest of the weeks, reading the book and learning spells. Memories come flooding in as you perform them. Those 5 servants, were 5 demon princes. Matthew, Sam, Erik, James, and Damien. Each who took shelter in your home after the fight with the devil, Malix.
But the woman still eluded you. You could feel how close you are, how close you are to the truth and your answers. But something was in the way. A memory block, a very powerful and potent memory block, only capable of being removed by the castor themselves.
You were stumped, how could you get it, the last piece to this puzzle? A page caught your attention, it was in your handwriting. It wasn't specific, in fact all it had was an incantation. It required a lot of materials, a petal from a lily, ivory, bone, and a few more things. But at the bottom there was a crest, it had angel wings and in the middle was a heart.
You remove the crest, and hold it. It felt heavy, and cool against your skin. There was a buzzing feeling as you held it and without any reason, you felt a slight shock.
Slipping it into your pocket, you see a chest, at the back of the bookshelf. Pulling it out, you find it unlocked and containing a pouch, filled with golden coins. You remove it, stick it into your jacket pocket, and snap a picture of the materials you need.
3:00 am and here you are, standing in the garden under the full moon. You manage to gather the materials and decided to try the incantation. You were sceptical, but at this point, you were willing to try everything.
After drawing the pentagram you step in and begin the incantation. Words start spilling from your mouth, as if you've done this before. Your one palm holding the book, the other outstretched as you felt magic collect around you.
As the last word slipped from your mouth, the magic stopped for a moment. You had a few minutes of pure silence before you collapse.
The sound of your heartbeat roars in your ear as you weakly open your eyes to find yourself in the middle of nowhere. Sand lay about you, and the harsh rays of the sun seemed to have set roasting you alive as their goal. You groan and stand up, looking around for shelter to gather your thoughts. But all you see are miles and miles of shifting sand.
You had walked a few miles when your feet had started to quiver. You were extremely dehydrated and your vision started swimming. The amount of heat mirages you encountered was maddening and you could feel yourself slowly buckle under everything.
Memories flash through your head as you lay on the scorching sand, the little particles digging and scratching your skin. You heave and gasp, inhaling a lungful of sand, and start to violently cough. Regret and annoyance fills you. All of this could have been avoided if you didn't go back. All of this could have been avoided if you didn't bother to look for her. But all of this could have been avoided if she has never showed up.
As you close your eyes, memories flit by. Suzu, Naomi, your parents, the demons, and so much more. But another memory gently latches onto you, a memory of the woman who eluded you.
"What's this for?" You hold up the glittering crest. It had angel wings surrounding a heart. It glowed with a golden light and you could feel magic pulsating as you held it.
"It's a crest for the Lilith kingdom. Given to the consort as a sign of love and respect. I had this made especially for you."
You look up to see her face, the woman with red eyes, hazel hair, the woman who had purple horns on her head. A gentle, soft smile was on her face and she gives you a deep kiss.
Your heart leaps for joy and you feel love, adoration, and amusement, move through you as a current.
"The crest is a 2 way connection. If by any chance you are far away, hold it tightly and I will find you," she stares deep into your eyes, and a feeling if warmth blossoms in your heart. She lets out a chuckle and kisses you again.
Your hands weakly move to the crest in your pocket. Its cold metal against your hand a welcome relief to the harsh heat. You pour everything into the crest, and as you slip into darkness, the last things you feel are shock and worry.