A/N: This chapter came out a bit shorter than the others, but you know, adding up more stuff for the sake of length kinda ruins it, I think.
Also, I'd advise you to read it while listening to Mountains by Message to Bears, from the third paragraph. Of course you don't need to, but I wrote it while listening to the song on repeat and...yeah, maybe it'll do some magic.
Anyway, enjoy!
I don't own Elsword nor its characters.
An unsettling silence took over the lounge, no one dared to lift up their gaze from the floor to look at the others. The fear was manifest. After everyone had finally gathered to Aisha's call, they decided to leave their duty at that. The discovery they had made left everyone moved, shocked, terrified. How would they be able to fight such a thing? Was what all of them were probably thinking. Vampires were called the lords of the night for a reason.
The only one that held a different expression than the rest was Elesis. She was standing away from the group and her face was distorted by anger. Ara stared at her, she was trembling. Maybe her friend was holding something back, something strong. Hatred. It was written all over her face.
Images from a night two weeks away came rushing to her mind. A dark alleyway, screams of pain, the roaring of a shotgun echoing through the quiet night, a white haired man crying with horror, covering his face, bending down next to a corpse, the shotgun aiming at his head. Ara stood up abruptly and left the house in a hurry, she could hear her teammates calling out to her from inside the mansion.
She ran through the desert streets, her feet barely touching the stone. Her heartbeats deafening her ears and only one thought showing up on her mind. She had to know, she had to know what had really happened that night. The cold breeze hit her skin sharply, making her long hair flow messily, getting in her face, pushing her back. Nothing else mattered, she had to know. She could feel herself floating over the ground from time to time, backwaters and blood splashing under her feet, the pumping of her heart leading the rhythm of every step.
She turned into a corner, supporting her hand against the wall to be able to slow down and stop. The dark alleyway in front of her. Only her trained eyes were to be trusted for her to make her way through the shadows. She could see the stain of blood where the man with the shotgun had been standing before they took him down. Kneeling down, she started to crawl on all fours, using her hands to feel her surroundings. There was nothing in there.
Of course, it had been two weeks ago, by then the corpses would have already been taken somewhere else. Ara threw herself to the mountains of garbage piled up at the end of the alleyway, frenetically searching for something in there. But what was she looking for? Clearly, there was nothing there that could be of any help. She let her head hit the stone wall in frustration, closing her eyes strongly, gritting her teeth furiously. She needed to know, more than anything.
Her shadow appeared in front of her, growing bigger against the wall. A shock of fear struck her heart and she cursed herself for not bringing her spear. "Miss?" she heard a deep voice calling from behind. She turned her head back slowly, her beating stopping for a brief second.
"Add Kim" was all she was able to mutter under her breath, letting the words escape through her lips in a whisper. She couldn't move, rooted to the floor by astonishment. He was holding a lit candle in one of his hands. All she could do was stare at him as he closed the distance between them, kneeling down in front of her, the light of the candle casting shadows that deepened the fear in her face.
"Are you alright? Why are you trembling?" he asked her quietly, she hadn't noticed until then. Her whole body was shaking. "What are you doing here this late at night, and alone?" he insisted, keeping his tone low and serious, peering at her face. She looked up at him to meet his eyes, an intense wave of shivers traveling through her body. It was soothing in a strange and disturbing way, yet her heart wouldn't stop threatening to break through her chest.
"The corpse…" she managed to say, out of breath. He looked at her with understanding, pursing his lips.
"They took them away and incinerated them a week ago. It's been getting difficult to find any space on the cemeteries to bury all the bodies they find every morning" he explained softly, gazing directly at her eyes. She recognized the sadness in his. It made her chest tighten.
"I'm sorry…for your loss" her words were weak and doubtful.
"Why are you here?" he asked her curtly almost immediately after the last word had fallen out of her mouth, averting his eyes for the first time. He stood up abruptly, walking over to the middle of the alleyway, where the corpse was when they got there that time. After pouring candle wax on the floor, he stuck the candle on top of it, making sure it stayed in its place as he pressed it down.
"I…I want to know what happened that night" she replied, unsure. She didn't know whether or not it was a good idea to tell him about her thoughts. He was involved, in a way or another. Then she noticed. There where the candle was lighting up the ground, she realized there was no stain of blood. The man they killed had left a pool of blood where he stood, but the other man, the one who was dead when they arrived, had been shot with a gun. He must have left his trace as well, yet there was nothing but dirt.
Add looked at her with a dark expression, piercing through her with his eyes. "What could be there to know? My mast—" he cut himself off. "No, my friend was shot in the head by that man. I was going to be next when you arrived and took him down. That's all there is to it" he added after a brief moment of silence and hesitation. He wasn't looking at her anymore; his gaze was lost in some point of the floor.
Ara looked at him still, gulping, the words stuck in her throat. This time, there was something dark about him, something enigmatic. It was clear to her that he didn't like her questions one bit. And yet a soft 'why' left her mouth without her wanting it. She bit her lip.
A small smirk curved his lips to one side. "Why, I wonder…" he merely said. Getting closer to Ara, he offered her his hand. He was different from the man she had met at the ball. His smile, his courteousness were completely gone, not trying to be charming anymore. But even with a serious face, with a shadow crossing his face, with his curt and cold answers, the charm around him just seemed to increase. He had a wild, dark beauty to him, a mysterious magic. Now more than ever.
She took his hand, its coldness spreading through her skin, and stood up with his help. Ara was reluctant to let go, instead she stared at him in the eyes, longing for the magic that kept her thoughts from drifting to a terrifying reality. Their hands were barely touching, but she was feeling shaken. Her limbs were trembling uncontrollably. She felt his fingers tighten his grip around hers, pulling her against his chest with delicacy. A warm sensation invaded her, despite the cold she felt on her skin. His arm wrapped around her shoulders, she felt his chin at the top of her head.
"Don't tremble" he said in a whisper, his voice sounded afflicted, full of anguish. A knot formed on her throat and she buried her face on his chest, their hands still barely touching. She wasn't sure about whether or not she should trust him. But he had an inebriating scent, a magnetism that pulled her to him every time. And for now, that was enough.
Ara heard a low noise, a pained groan coming out of his throat; she felt his hand tightening on her shoulder, shaking, digging his fingers. She held her breath. He suddenly pushed her away brusquely, taking a few steps back. She saw him gritting his teeth, heard him whimpering quietly.
"I need to go. Please go back to your home" he told her under his breath, managing to get his words to come out through groans. And just like that, he disappeared into the darkness, leaving her standing there, alone and dumbfounded.
A cold breeze flew by and she shivered, wrapping her arms around her stomach.
A/N: Hope you enjoyed!
As always, your comments and feedback are always appreciated.
Until next chapter!