AkumaQuil

He inches closer, a single finger roaming her heated skin. Breath mingling with breath. 

A loud bang vibrates through the room, so thunderous as if god himself was furious.

Slowly he looks up staring out the large glass windows to the backyard, 

"You have a visitor." His rasps calmly.

"Who?" Rose quickly fires, feigning ignorance. She knew well enough who it was. Her nightly visitor has arrived.

Surprising, He only visits when she is alone.

"One who comes out at night. Lurking in the shadows, in the darkness... just like its intensions."

He looks down still leaning on top her, once more pinning her with his intense gaze.

"Are you afraid?" His voice dead serious, eyes going back to look outside.

And Rose lied, "No." 

But is it a lie when her fear was never really rooting enough to make her run the other way but instead often getting mixed with exhilaration.

"You should be."  

He leaves her staring wide eyed on the sofa and goes to stand before the glass panes.

"It's not happy to see me here. I can see the raging pits of fire in it's gaze. Ready to burn me right where I stand." he chuckled, sounding most sinister, "It definitely wants to rip my innards out."

"You should take off your shirt." He suggests casually.

"Excuse me?"

"Let's see if it riles him up even more to shatter instead of just slamming the windows like a wuss." He rouses under his breath, his excited provocative tone not escaping Rose's attention. 

What the hell is he up to?

"This isn't funny." Rose sputters out, standing up from the couch.

"I'm not trying to be." He faces her again, sporting a deadpan face. 

"Whatever. You think I'm one of your stupid fan girls to take my shirt off just because you want to rile someone up? Besides, there's probably no one outside and you're only making it up to see my boobs like a pervert."

His eyes roams her from top to bottom, there was distaste evident in his gaze.

"When he comes at night and leaves a little something for you, maybe then you take off your clothes for him... like a slut." Rome stared into her eyes with nothing behind those icy orbs to show for a lack of meaning behind his words. Because he means every single thing he says to her.

"Get. Out. Now!" Rose boomed furiously. 

"Whatever, I was leaving anyway. This has become boring." He walks towards her front door.

"Wait. How do you know he comes at night and leaves something?" her eyes narrow.

"Because I've seen it before."

"You saw him? It is a real guy?" Rose wanted to confirm, for some reason she thought otherwise.

"I never said I saw him. I've only seen it happening to someone else." 

"Whom?" 

"You don't need to know." He closes off.

"Then at least tell me what happened to her? Can I meet this person?" 

"You can't." Refusing calmly he was almost out the door when Rose pleads against hope.

"Please."

"You can't because she disappeared." Those were the words that finally did it. Brought her racing heart and buzzing head to a sudden halt. "Never to be seen again." 

 "When he stops visiting, that's when you should be most afraid." His words rang like a siren in the silence of her mind as he left.

Now she felt true fear for the first time.

==

In the embrace of her ancestral town, Rose seeks refuge from the echoes of her past. 

Little does she know, her return to her roots will awaken dormant shadows, shattering ordinary her existence. 

For when the darkness falls over the town, from the pitch black rises a shadowy figure that haunt her nights. 

In the darkness he sweeps her off the ground in terrible fear and the allure of sinister intrigue.

And once the sun comes, a man with a god awful attitude, haunts her in the broad day light. Causing her to swell with pure disdain. 

With each passing night, it draws closer to Rose, casting a chilling spell that both terrifies and exhilarates her.

Thrust into a labyrinth of mysteries can she navigate the treacherous path laid before her, or will her nightly visitor consume her whole?

He Comes At Night

Out of everyone on that damn court, he was the one to come fetch the ball?

Yeah, right. That thing didn't just slip from his hands and fly across yards to conveniently hit Leo of all people. Not when I had just witnessed him sinking impossible shots with perfect precision from all the way across the court.

Or was he aiming for me? At this point, I wouldn't put it past him.

His voice, cool and composed, didn't match the sharp glint in his eyes or the smug twist of his lips. The words were empty, dripping with amusement, like he was toying with Leo.

He did see me sitting here with Leo and decided to himself how could we be having a perfectly normal afternoon looking perfectly content with our perfect lives when he was in our vicinity.

A mortifying realization coiled in my gut—he had caught me staring at him.

Leo clenched his fists at his sides, tension rippling through his entire body as he locked eyes with Dracken. His jaw tightened, grinding so hard I swore I could hear his teeth creak.

I had never seen him like this. Sure, Leo wasn't exactly buddies with him before, but this? This was different. This felt personal.

Rome, on the other hand, looked utterly unfazed—amused, even.

Like he was waiting for something.

I shot up from my seat, reaching for Leo's clenched fist, wrapping my fingers around his knuckles, willing him to breathe, and not fall for it.

Provocation is what he does best after all, manipulative bastard.

"Let it go, Leo," I whispered, my voice firm, unwavering.

A muscle in Leo's jaw ticked, his nostrils flaring—but he didn't move.

"Yes, listen to her, Leo," Rome drawled, his voice soaked in mockery as he said his name. Effortlessly yanked the ball back into his grip and took a few steps back still watching Leo.

His smirk widened, a slow, knowing curl of his lips, but his gaze? Not once did it flicker to me. Not once did he acknowledge my presence.

With the denigrating mirth swirling in his uncaring, cold eyes, I wasn't about to see any remorse anyway. And I don't think I was ready to see mocking either. Which I can tell he would have for me.

78. Let It Go