Before Her Very Eyes

Chapter 53

It was like the world around them did not exist. That there was a whole host of mages watching their intimate moment slipped her mind, and they were the only two people in the world. She even forgot she was in love with someone else. Right now, all that mattered was that gratifying heat between their bodies.

For two people who had never kissed like that in their lives, Arin couldn't believe how easy it was for them to find a rhythm that worked. It was not just his lips, but his hands too. They stroked her back and lingered around her waist, and every touch felt planned and perfect.

Jeonghan then pulled his head back to break the contact between their lips. "I love you," he said in her mouth between heavy draws of breath.

Larali yelled and writhed on the floor, and that pulled them both out of their trance.

"I can't take it anymore. I'm sorry," Larali said. There were tears streaming down her bloodshot eyes as she lay there on the floor.

Hoshi barged through the door.

"Jeonghan, back to the chains," he ordered. "Now!" he yelled when Jeonghan hesitated. "When Larali leaves this room, you'll be possessed by the devil, so cooperate!"

Jeonghan did cooperate. He threw one last gentle look at Arin before going to the platform where both Yoonsa and Hoshi chained him up as Larali took in the last of the pain.

When he was done, Hoshi picked the girl up and carried her away.

Arin watched as Jeonghan's gentle eyes turned demonic, protruding out of his sockets enough for her to see the veins in his eyes. The yielding relaxed body she had touched was now tense and violent.

He turned into the devil, but he was a devil in chains who could not hurt her. When escaping the chains proved unfruitful, he yelled lewd expletives and disturbing threats about what he was going to do to her. It was hard to believe that such odious things were being uttered by the same face that had just kissed her and told her he loved her.

-

It was 8pm when she finally went home. They had extracted a lot of magic from the session that day, even though the love potion didn't work as planned.

Arin had Woozi on her mind that night. Guilt bore into her subconscious, and she couldn't help it. It felt like she had betrayed her own heart by being so intimate with Jeonghan.

The whole thing was ridiculous. She knew in her mind she shouldn't feel guilty; these were all manufactured feelings that had no bearing on reality. But no matter how much she grappled with that, the feelings for Woozi still seemed far too real. Even if she knew she would wake up the next day and forget all about him, for now, she couldn't imagine that.

It was not only her heart that she betrayed, but Jeonghan too. Had she led him on? Made him think there was a spark that wasn't there?

But there was a spark. Arin had felt it in the pit of her stomach, awakening feelings in her she didn't know she could feel. The truth was that kissing Jeonghan so ardently left her feeling bare and craving more, from anyone, not just him in particular.

-

Hey, she got a text from Woozi that night. Are you up?

Arin nearly gasped when she saw the message, and her anxious heart thought up a thousand different responses. She felt like a lovestruck teenager whose crush had just messaged her. She drew in a deep breath and typed out a Yes.

So I was thinking, since the curse doesn't work on me for whatever reason, could we meet tonight? I know you're tired, but I really want to talk to you.