Obsidian's Reign ¹

∷ Chapter 5 ∷

CONFUSION AND DISARRAY clouded her mind as Clara remained motionless a few metres away from the rubble that was once her car. The flames had long since died down but the stench of burnt debris was still hanging heavy in the air. As she continued staring at the charred remains of her car, it dawned on her that she would have been blown to bits along with it had it not been for the man. It occurred to her that although his disappearance was suspicious and thought-provoking, he had undoubtedly saved her life.

As she struggled to process her understanding of the situation, something didn't seem to sit right with her. Glancing at the entrance of the medical centre, she pondered over the lack of reaction coming from those within. Hadn't they heard the sounds of the explosion? Why wasn't anyone rushing forward to determine its cause? She was certain it was loud enough to warrant some kind of reaction, but the parking lot and its surrounding area remained eerily quiet as though nothing had happened at all.

A flicker of movement amidst the dying flames caught her attention just then, causing unease to sweep over her as she pushed herself to stand on shaking legs.

"W-Who's there?" she asked, gritting her teeth in slight annoyance at the tremor in her voice.

A few seconds passed before she heard a distinct sigh as a figure emerged from behind the charred vehicle. Clara took an instinctive step back and squinted at the silhouette that no doubt belonged to a man. The street lamps nearest to her car had been blown out by the force of the explosion, shrouding her in darkness. She gulped nervously and took another subconscious step back. Despite the turmoil and fear running rampant in her mind, she was still able to discern the soft and calming voice she'd heard earlier—the one that belonged to her saviour.

Clara Avery, you must stay away from him.

She contemplated looking around for a glimpse of the man from before, but she knew her efforts would be futile. Instead, she kept her eyes firmly locked on the figure who was slowly advancing towards her. The dangerous aura resonating from him kept her from tearing her gaze away, convinced that doing so would result in dire consequences.

"You just keep getting away, don't you?" came a voice that no doubt belonged to the mysterious figure cloaked in tenebrosity. The question was posed in a quiet and unimposing manner, yet there was no mistaking the displeasure and coldness behind it.

It was only a moment later when the figure stepped out of the darkness and into the flickering light of the remaining street lamps. Clara's eyes widened involuntarily at the sight of the man before her. He was astonishingly handsome; with jet black hair and eyes the colour of heartwood. Her prior thoughts had placed him to an image of a seedy man in a dark hooded sweatshirt and she could not have been any more wrong with her assumption.

The man standing before her was wearing a simple button-down office shirt—the sleeves of which were rolled past his elbows, effectively showcasing the tattoos on both his forearms—and a pair of equally mediocre dress pants. Despite his unambiguous choice of clothes, he seemed to exude a mix of flair and perilousness that was enough to silence her.

He stared at her with obvious contempt reflected in his eyes. Seeing her gulp in nervousness made him chuckle. He retrieved a metal case from his pocket and pulled out a piece of cigarette. He tilted the case towards her and, assuming he was offering her a piece, Clara immediately shook her head. The man shrugged and replaced the case in his pocket.

She watched in continued silence as he pressed the end of the cigarette between his thumb and forefinger. When he moved to place the cigarette between his lips, she was surprised to note that the end was already lighted, a trail of smoke slowly drifting towards the sky.