It was freezing.
The small girl, curled up like a child upon the stone floor, shuddered.
"Oh..." She moaned.
Where was she?
She lifted her head from the cold ground, tucking her curly hair back, and looked around.
It was dark, terrifyingly dark, but the walls managed to reflect a bit of light; her eyes began to adjust.
So cold.
The thin silk of her nightgown held in no warmth, her pale arms and legs exposed. She whimpered, feeling naked.
"Hello?" She whispered timidly to the dark.
"Hello."
The girl gasped, her heartbeat beginning to race. The voice was soft, velvety, but oddly deep. It was unnatural; trembling uncontrollably, she wrapped her arms around herself. A silhouette became visible in the far corner of the room. It was tall, masculine.
She stood up slowly, like a calf, and began to walk backwards; her skin met the icy wall, sending chills down her back.
Behind the sound of her own crying, she could hear footsteps. The girl squeezed her eyes shut.
Nearer and nearer, until she couldn't help but look.
A man, so familiar. A man with aristocratic features, with pale skin that faded into blue around his eyes.
His eyes.
They were black. No color, no shining white. Obsidian, cold; heavy lidded, empty.
The smooth, perfect map of his face was gridded like a maze and...pins; pins driven into his head at each intersecting line.
He towered over her, making her feel like a mouse set before a lion. His gaze was set on her. She was prey.
And there was nothing she could do but lean against the cold rock and look up into those eyes. Time barely seemed to move as they stared at one another, close enough to touch. Close enough to kill.
Silent, she watched the man's reach out to her, slowly. The tips of his long, elegant fingers were stained with blood. Anticipation nearly broke her as he touched the exposed skin above her chest. He was warm, but she shivered.
His fingers left a trail of ice as they moved down, reaching the top of her breast. She squirmed and whimpered, panic consuming her.
"Hellbound heart..." The man whispered, his eyes lowered.
"H-hell?" She replied.
"No, not you." The girl watched his brow furrow, watched the landscape of his face change with rising emotion. "Not you." He sounded...sad.
She wanted to ask who he was, where they were and why. Her eyes traveled down, and stared at his body.
Two rectangular pieces of skin had been cut off on either side of his torso; violent chains crossed over the wounds. Fresh blood sparkled in the dim light.
The girl felt her stomach tighten with nausea, and looked back up to his face. He stepped forward, mere inches separating their bodies.
"Do not be afraid of me." His breath was cool as it washed over her face. A tear fell down her cheek.
"I'm very afraid," The girl said softly.
The man smiled. It was a faint smile, closed and almost unnoticeable, but for some reason, it made her feel safe.
His fingers left her chest and cupped her cheek, and every muscle in her body tensed; she tried to turn away.
"Look at me." His whisper was lulling, beautiful even, and terrifying because she found it beautiful.
Timidly, she did as he said; without warning, he leaned in and captured her lips with his own.