Please Illuminate the Dark Path of My Soul

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Hua Ling is now safe with the company of Min Jing. Well- the room is what mostly keeps them safe. This is absurd, those monsters want to take Hua Ling away from me when I was the one who went through all that trouble to find her. I go outside the house and face them. "Hello," I transform into my human self. "What brings you here?"

"Don't act stupid, Xiu Yan." one of them spat.

I looked to the side, irritated, "You're right. Let's not act like animals, and talk this through-"

One of the dark creatures turns into a beautiful woman, white hair, solemn eyes, pale skin and ocean-blue eyes. She moves forward, standing in front of me. She puts her hand to my face, I grab hold of it, and kiss it. "Yang Li." I say before she embraces me with all her strength. She starts to tear up, but doesn't make it obvious.

"You..you're warm," she says, forgetting why they came here. "Oh. I mean, you know what we want."

I nod, and let go of her embrace, facing everyone else as they slowly turn into humans themselves. "Let's not act like wild beasts, you all know that there are at least 200,000 in China. Can't you just satisfy your needs with other humans if you can't find them? Or animals as substitutes? Plus, she's 16. Don't be impatient," I remind them.

Yang Li gets annoyed and continues, "Xiu Yan is right, plus this is a pain in the ass,"

Everyone starts yelling and saying stuff like, "No! Are you crazy? We aren't going to give in this easily!"

A roar is heard from behind them all, and they all shut up. I would be startled too if I didn't know who it was. "Mother!" I burst out.

She comes running towards me and says, "Xiu Yan, my dear baby. I see everyone in my Queendom has decided they want to steal your girlfriend, is that right? It seems everyone forgot that Xiu Yan is the," she looks to everyone behind her in disappointment, "Prince."

The door opens, and Hua Ling comes running out hugging me tightly, almost making me fall. She seems so terrified, and blurts out, "Xiu Yan! Please don't die or anything like that, it hurts even though I know you're the one to kill me!"

"Speaking of the devil," my mom turned away and everyone started out in disbelief. Disgust, even.

I hug Hua Ling back, "I won't die, they just wanted you," I feel her shiver beneath me, and I guess she is crying. I look down, and it turns out I am right. I hug her even tighter. "Are you afraid?"

"I am! Saying that won't narrow anything down, I'm afraid of everything!"

I don't know what to do. I can't handle seeing a girl crying in front of me. What if I do something and that doesn't help? It's so stressful and it makes me anxious. I carry her in my arms, and walk to the room without saying another word. She makes a hic sound and sobs a bit more. She seemed surprised at first, but now she is letting it all out while being carried by me. As we enter the house, I imagine my eyes looking cold, as if I will devour her any second now.

I guess I was right. "What are you going to do, Xiu Yan? Did I embarrass you..?"

I don't look at her eyes, I don't look anywhere, and simply walk to a room. I place her on a bed and tuck her in. I walk to the other side of the bed and snuggle with her. "Hua Ling," I whisper. "I've been feeling cold lately." I hug her waist and bring her closer to me, cupping her into a spoon position. I feel my eyes getting watery, and I let it out. Hua Ling stops her sobbing, and instead turns to me and hugs me once more. Her warmth is overwhelming. After a few seconds, I feel myself drift to sleep. When my mind finally wakes up, I keep my eyes shut. I feel Hua Ling wake up beside me, and it seems she backs away.

A warm kiss lands on my forehead, and I can't help but smile.

"You- you were awake?" Hua Ling says, embarrassed.

I sit up and rub my eyes. "Yeah, until a few seconds ago. That kiss sure did wake me up, thank you, Hua Ling."

She turns away. "Yeah, whatever.. I'm only doing this because you're too cold."

"And you're too warm. It isn't my fault our body temperatures are different," I start.

Hua Ling looks back at me. "Xiu Yan, why did you do what you did yesterday? You looked like you were going to eat me. I was scared."

"I am sorry, but I just don't know what to do when someone cries in front of me. My warmth from your heat was going down, and I really needed you."

"What do you use as warmth?" she says, pondering curiously.

"I eat human souls. That also works as body warmth. Since I basically formed a contract with you, you are mine. You belong to me, and I cannot eat another person until I eat you."

"Will you get punished if you don't follow the rules?"

I scratch my head in embarrassment. "Well yes- by you. I mean- this is embarrassing to say, but this basically means you are 'mine' as in.. a relationship."

"Who the heck made that rule? That's stupid, and I barely even know you!"

She is right. We barely know each other. "Then why don't we have a date today?" It's a stupid idea, but even someone like Hua Ling would accept that, if I give all my confidence to my looks.

"Sure, there's nothing bad in that. It'd be fun!"

Anything with her will be fun. I remind myself that she is my food, nothing else. The creators of dark creatures suck really, saying we're in a relationship only to get attached and then one of us dies? That's messed up. Below 10 people have been able to escape that in 10,000 years. I hope I can be one, and live happily with Hua Ling. But what if not? I better not get attached to forbidden beauties.