[ IN WHICH SHE THROWS UP ]
I lift my head back up, wiping the remnants of my puke. Breathing heavily, I lean against a tree as I wait for the world to stop spinning. I can feel his burning stare in the silence, so I tuck my curls behind my ears to get a better view of the shirtless young man with wings.He still hasn’t said anything.He’s just standing there, observing me from head to toe like some museum artifact. And I do the same.The man in front of me appears as though he has been crafted out of a fairy tale. However, he’s not the hero in the fairy tale, but the devious villain. The villain that has everyone in chokehold with his mere presence. His sword that has black smoke swirling around it is no longer in sight. It's like it disappeared the moment he set foot on the ground. I scrutinize the man with white, flawless skin. His hair is dark as the sky above us; dark, wavy strands are sat on top of his head, giving the right proportions to his sharp and square jaw. Something about his hair feels familiar. And suddenly, an image of hands —my hands— running through his dark hair flashes in my mind.My breath hitches when I gaze into his eyes.He has deep-set eyes, the color of dove feathers, not the albino kind, but the ones with a hue so softly grey that they could have been pencil drawn. His eyes are beautiful; almost angelic. As his eyes watch me, I get self-cautious. His eyes watch me like they’ve seen all parts of me, like they know and understand me, and like they’ve seen me at my worst.With a shaky breath, my eyes drop to his full lips.Honestly, every part of him is carved to perfection. His upper body is fit. He’s not muscular, he’s just the right amount of slim and muscles. I spot markings and tattoos on his chest and arms, and I begin to wonder if he has more in places that have been covered in his trousers.There’s something familiar about him, I can’t place my finger on it. And I don’t know what these images in my mind are.My eyes anxiously move to the black feathers on his wings. Before I can get a better look, the wings start to move again, and slowly they disappear into his back. My eyes widen at the view. It looks so unnatural, and I get irritated again.Nausea washes over me as I bend over, puking on the stones and dead leaves in the forest.Cursing at myself for being so disgusting, I wipe my lips and straighten up. I hold my head higher, trying to protect my dignity in front of the man.Now that his wings are gone, he looks like a regular human, but I do wonder if his back is covered in markings too. My fingers ache to touch them and relieve whatever pain might be there. But I control myself.The only thing I should be aching for is my escape.Maybe he can help.“Hey, man.” I call over the distance. “Do you know a way out of here?”He doesn’t say anything. He’s still watching me quietly with an unexplainable emotion in his grey eyes.I shift on my injured feet, wincing a little. His eyes snap down to my feet as his jaw clenches. I move closer to speak again. “I need to return home, can you help me?”“This is your home.”His voice sends shivers down my spine. I’ve never heard anything so raw, and deep.I shake the thoughts out of my head. “No, see, I’m not from here. In fact I don’t know where the fuck this place is. I was abducted by the King of this Hell. And, I will very much like to leave as fast as I can before he finds me. So, help me.”He keeps a straight face.His silence frustrates me. “Come on, what are you doing just standing there? Help me out of this place. Who knows what will come after me next? You saw those men. What are they even? Vampires? Vampires don’t exist. Who knows what else lives in this place? And you—” I cut myself short. “I don’t want to see any more… bird-people like you.”The man folds his arms. “Bird-people.”“Yeah, you have wings. You’re a bird.”He doesn’t look happy with my analogy. “I am not a bird.”I roll my eyes. “Well, duh, that’s the point. I don’t want to know what you are. I just want to get the hell out of this place.” Impatiently, I look through the trees and bushes, then I see a wall. The wall is a few steps away. When I get closer to it, it’s taller than I imagined. So, I need help getting over. I turn to the man behind. “Come on, give me a lift. You can just push me over.”His arms are still folded. “I advise that you do not go over that wall.”“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. I’ve climbed over things growing up.”“You have not a clue what may be at the other side of the wall.”“It definitely cannot be worse than what has happened already. I’ve seen a man with wings, so I’m sure nothing can surprise me anymore. And who knows? I might just fall back into my world when I climb this wall.” I tell him. “Now, quit the lecture. And help me.”After seconds of silence, he replies. “I have no intention of helping you.”My eyebrows furrow. “What do you mean?” I ask him, but he doesn’t respond. “You practically slayed demons that were trying to eat me. Getting me over a wall shouldn’t be a problem, don’t you think?”He continues watching me in silence.I scoff. “Listen. I am a very important person where I come from. And you will regret not helping me.”His lips twitch, but he doesn’t move from his spot.Aggravated, I pick up my dress and stride towards him. I stop in front of him. His familiar scent fills my nostrils, and the familiarity drives me insane. We’re in close proximity, and he tenses up, clenching his jaw.“I am a lady in distress.” I boldly tell him. “You refused to help a lady in distress.”“I refuse when that lady in distress is trying to go over a wall, so she can escape me, her king.”My lips part open. My brown eyes widen. I jerk back like I’ve been stabbed. A few steps away from him, I watch him, speechless.… [that was my first encounter with the king. and it was the beginning of a fatally flawed romance.] …[ IN WHICH SHE IS A DAMSEL IN DISTRESS ] From the frying pan to the fire. I ran from the market, and fell right into the hands of three hungry men, who then spiralled me into the trap of the King. If I had stayed at the harmless market a little bit longer, I wouldn't be in the fire right now. My eyes are glued to the man in front of me. I shift on my feet, uncomfortably, unsure of what to do at a moment like this. I didn't expect to cross paths with the King this way. And now that I have, what do I do?“Are you really the King?” I ask, breathless. “Why do you ask?" He tilts his head. "You do not think I am the King?"My eyes rove round the forest, looking for a route to run through if he tries anything suspicious. But I doubt I'll get that far with huge wings like his. “Let's just say it'll do us both some good if you aren't the King.”"And why is that?" His arms are folded across his bare chest.He takes a step closer, but I step back, cautiously. "Because I think the King is da
[ IN WHICH SHE ASKS FOR MUSIC ]The thick walls of the mansion echoes with screams. It echoes violently with the screams of my abductors — Jacqueline and Atlas. After I left the forest with the King, we got to the mansion in no time, where I had to fight the intense urge to puke for the third time. He then ordered for his maids to escort me back to my chambers, where I got dressed in a fresh set of clothing, and was given supper. But before I parted ways with the King, I heard him call for Jacqueline and Atlas. The two followed him into a red room by a corner.And ever since then, the two have been letting out clamorous and ear-splitting screams. It's been two hours, and they still haven't stopped. My heart skips a beat at the sudden knock on the door. Sighing in distress, I call the person in. The door carefully opens up, revealing who's behind it. It's the tall, lanky man from earlier. The one who walked in with dozens of dresses on clothe hangers. He still hasn't told me his nam
[ IN WHICH SHE MEETS THE KING ] The doors are pulled open by two guards standing on each side, and I step into the throne room. I'm first greeted by the aroma of food. My eyes then falls to the long, rectangular table, separating the King and I, keeping us at a distance of at least two meters. On the table, different kinds of meals have been arranged. The insane amount of food available is more than enough for just two people. I begin to wonder if there's a third party joining us soon. Or maybe he does eat this much. Having wings grow out of your back must require a large intake of food. I look to the King seated on his throne. He has no crown on, but he has a shirt on this time. I ask myself: why doesn't he have a crown on? How long has he been on the throne? Who put him in the position of King? And is anyone going to take over? So many questions left unanswered, hopefully for now. Something flashes in my peripheral vision, and my eyes snap to the left. That's when I notice the
[ IN WHICH SHE MEETS SIN ] Once his name is said, a voice rings in my head. The same way it did with Lake back in the chambers. At the very back of my head, there’s a loud voice screaming the name, “Sin”. I recognize the sound of my own voice. The voice in my head is definitely mine calling out the King’s name, that part is clear. What I’m unclear about is why I’m having these memory flashbacks. Memories that don’t seem to be mine, or are they? My eyes are focused on the man sat opposite me. The harder I concentrate, memories flash before my eyes. However, these memories are different from Lake’s. The voice in my head moans his name in different occasions, while in others, she screams his name in agony and pain. I flinch from the feeling. He notices this, and clears his throat. “November.” He calls my name, his voice dripping with concern. “Are you okay?” I nod, weakly. “Sin?” I ask. “Your name is Sin? What is that? No one is named Sin.” “You did not understand what I said, did
[ IN WHICH SHE SINS ] I cannot fall asleep. I've laid in my bed for hours, but sleep evades me completely. I can't find the means to rest. I’ve been restless ever since my last interaction with the King—well, with Sin—since that’s his real name. My mind keeps replaying our last encounter over and over again. I simply cannot get him out of my mind. The truth is, it’s not just the sight of him cutting his flesh open that perturbs me. There’s something else. After feeling my body up close with him, I can’t help but desire for more. Helplessly, I let out a wary sigh. I’m currently awake, because my mind won’t stop creating fantasies about a man I’m supposed to resent; a man whom I’m supposed to view as a nuisance. … [it was only natural to feel that way. i was experiencing an attraction so intense towards the one i had been fated to, but i didn’t know that, so i suppressed my emotions, which only made them worse for me, and someone else] … I gaze through the white curtains and out t
[ IN WHICH SHE IS STRANGE ] It's the crack of dawn, and I haven't gotten a shut-eye. As expected, I didn't fall asleep.I've been at the edge of my bed for about an hour now, sitting in my bathrobe. I refuse to move from my spot, terrified of what's coming for me next in this very eventful realm. Listening to the silence of my chambers, while basking in the daylight streaming through the windows, I have gotten a sense of comfort that I haven't felt all night. Previously, a total of ten maids came over, and fixed me a nice, warm bath which was supposed to help calm me down, but instead, it did the opposite. The warm air from the bath reminded me of the heat that spewed from Sin's room the previous night. I still cannot get the image out of my mind, it's forever engraved on the surface of my cerebellum. The maids brushed my hair, fixed my face up, but I didn't let them dress me up, as there was no need, since I will never be setting foot out of the confines of my bedroom, like ever.
[ IN WHICH SHE SPOTS A TRUTH ] Something definitely feels off. Something is going to happen soon— I know it, I just don't know what exactly is going to happen. The rest of the mansion clearly knows, but they refuse to say anything to me.Sauntering down the halls of the mansion, I explore areas that I haven't seen before. I've been too preoccupied with resenting, and trying to escape this building that I haven't really noticed how glorious it is. Last night, after tracing the unholy sounds, I realized this mansion is much bigger than it looks. It has staircases, doors, and rooms leading to diverse and interesting places. Maybe if I want some answers, I should start by searching the mansion. With more than half of the guards gone, I can use this opportunity to the fullest. But obviously, the guards in charge of my safety will not let me out of their sight."Miss. I'm sorry, but you can't go further than that." I ignore the male guard as I walk towards the balcony. "I think I can.
[ IN WHICH SHE IS ABOUT TO SUFFER ]"Is Sin a fallen angel?" The guard's eyes widen in shock. He stutters repeatedly like I had just said something mind blowing. I see his brain's turning the wheels as he thinks of a way to dodge the question. "Sin is exactly what he is. He is Sin." I tilt my head. "Are you being for real?"He snickers, holding his laughter. The urge to smack him nearly takes over. Does he think I'm some kind of joke? Fortunately for him, Lake runs in before I hit him on the head. "You shouldn't be here, November," Lake says, panting hard after running around, searching for me. "Please, come back to your chambers." "I'm not going anywhere." "Come on, November." Lake sighs, tiredly. I roll my eyes at Lake. "Enough, Lake! Stop bothering me you useless, piece of shit." ... [it was starting. acting, and saying things i normally wouldn't, was the first phase. it was the first thing that needed to happen before i felt the pain] ...Lake frowns. "What's with you toda