That eye contact

Sereia POV:

At that moment, I felt my heartbeat stop. Those oceanic blue eyes pierced through my soul. It was like he was looking into me... some part of me which I do not know either.

The rain outside suddenly intensified. While there was so much intensity in his eyes that if he looked at me for one more second, I would have turned into a statue.

He looked away, ran his fingers through the thick threads of his hair and left.

For a couple of minutes, I could not hear anything. There was this ringing in my ears... maybe because of what I heard a few minutes ago, or because of the mere seconds of eye contact that I held with the stranger.

However, when I heard the sobs of my parents, I stopped fantasizing about the man and I realized that because of him and his family, my parents and brother are going through the tormenting pain. The little bud that was about to sprout was blown away by the heavy gush of the wind and I rushed downstairs.

Mom and Dad looked at me and they cried harder, "Sereia, sweetheart." Dad sobbed.

I walked closer to him and he pulled me into a tight hug. I felt the weight of his sorrow, the desperation for a solution, and the overwhelming fear for my future.

"Dad, what's happening? What did they say?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper, as if speaking too loudly would shatter the fragile reality I found myself in.

Mom wiped away her tears, but her eyes were still red and puffy. "They... they want you, Sereia. They want you to marry their son in exchange for sparing your brother."

I felt a chill run down my spine, and a lump formed in my throat. "Marry? But I'm just... I'm just a kid. I can't marry someone I don't even know!"

Dad took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. "It's not that simple, sweetheart. They're giving us an ultimatum. It's either you or your brother. We have to make a choice, and it's tearing us apart. I don't know what I should do. Ryan... he did not do anything. If I will not take him out of the prison, it will be the end of his life and if I will give you to them.. then it will destroy you."

"But Dad, this isn't fair! Why should I be punished for something I didn't do?" My voice wavered, a mix of fear and anger bubbling within me.

Dad cupped my face in his hands, his eyes pleading for understanding. "I know, Sereia. I know it's not fair, and I'm so sorry you have to go through this. We never wanted any of this to happen, but we're trapped. This is also unfair to Ryan. He did not kill their son either. I just don't see any other way out."

"But... What should we do? Marrying someone without love, it's like... it's like a prison!" I protested, the idea of my life being dictated by someone else's actions suffocating me.

Mom spoke up, her voice shaky but determined. "Sweetheart, we love you, and we want what's best for you. We will try to think of a solution. We will discuss it with a lawyer and try to negotiate with them."

Mom tried to calm me but deep down I knew that something was terribly wrong with her.

I pulled away, feeling a mix of frustration and helplessness. "But Mom, Dad, this is not right. I don't want to live my life like this, and I certainly don't want to be a pawn in their revenge."

Dad nodded, acknowledging the pain in my words. "We understand, Sereia. We do. But sometimes life throws us into situations where there are no easy choices, only choices we have to make. Don't worry, your Dad will do everything to protect you and your brother."

He assured me but I did not feel better at all. The situation was already bad enough but those blue eyes were even more alarming.