wait for me [illumi zoldyck]

54. Days of Tomorrow

Illumi

Rene ushers me into the sunroom, at the back of the small house. There are a couple of reading chairs, couches and a coffee table spread amongst an array of plants and flowers. The room is beaming with greenery. The walls and ceiling are made of glass, sunlight pouring through them. It's a beautiful and well-kept conservatory, which I had not noticed from the outside. 

The strange golden-eyed man follows behind us carefully, not saying anything. He is bizarre, but I don't question him. Rene seems comfortable around the man. Therefore he must not seem to be a danger to either of us, surely.

He is powerful. I can tell, despite the way he hides his aura. The way he carries himself speaks volumes. 

I wonder who he is to Rene.

I turn my attention back to her.

Rene's hair is long, reaching just above her hips in delicate waves. I am still perplexed at how young she looks. She is, in reality, very old, yet she has not even one wrinkle on her skin. She sits down on one of the armchairs, beside a marble coffee table, taking her time to observe me for a moment without a word.

"Have a seat," the man behind me says. His voice is startling, coming out gentler than I'd expected and accompanied by a subtle accent I've never heard before.  

I do as he says, sitting on an armchair near Rene. We don't speak for a moment, watching the man disappear into another room. I observe him, perplexed by his inhumane height and composure. He walks in such a perfect manner that is unlike anything I've ever witnessed in anybody before. He surely isn't a normal human being.

"That is Cyrus, my husband," Rene chuckles softly, motioning to the man who just left the room. She must have noticed how attentively I've been observing him. "Forgive him, he is quite shy." 

I raise an eyebrow. Mr.Hano never told me anything about a husband. As far as either of us knows, Rene has been alone for many years. Supposedly.

"I am not shy," the man sighs, strolling back into the room with a glass of water in his hand. He sets it on the marble coffee table in front of me. 

"Here, you must be thirsty," he murmurs, seating himself beside his wife, on the opulent couch. He is enormous, compared to her. His legs seem all too long for the chair, spreading out in front of him, while Rene's feet barely touch the floor.

I leave the glass of water on the table, not feeling thirsty despite my long trek through the forest. All I want, at this moment, is answers from these people.

I have so many questions but don't know where to begin. How is it that Rene still looks so young, when in reality she should be the same age as my own great-grandfather? How did she know I was on my way to see her? Why doesn't anyone know about Cyrus? 

Rene leans back in her chair, smiling. "You must be quite confused," she laughs softly, rubbing the back of her neck. It's a nervous gesture, and I don't miss it. 

Cyrus doesn't miss it either, placing a comforting hand over her knee. 

"I've been observing you for quite some time, Illumi," Cyrus begins, attention snapping towards me. He is very abrupt, in the way he speaks, getting straight to the point. "We know who you are, and what you want from us. You are in communication with Mia, a spirit, which is something no mortal has been able to achieve, in the past."

I flinch. Mortal? 

"Cyrus," Rene scolds, shooting a glare at the man beside her. "You can't talk like that, you'll confuse the boy."