Hidden World

Chapter XXI - Hidden in the Pages

As the sun slowly started to melt into the sea, the temperature was slowly dropping. They stayed in silence watching the last rays of sunlight, enjoying every second left in each other's company. Just them, alone with the sea and the sunset.

"We should go." He said and slowly got up before giving her his hand to help her up. They dusted off the sand from their clothes and started to walk towards the path with the speed of a snail as none actually wanted to leave, but in their hearts, they knew that they had to do so.

"Will I see you again soon? And I do not mean in my dreams or memories. I mean like this." She said as soon as they got in the car.

"I don't know." He said and started the engine, carefully exiting the parking lot. "Honestly, I don't even know what will happen after I drop you off." He added and kept his eyes on the road.

"I wish there was a way we could see the future."

"There is but, nothing is sure. The future is unpredictable and every small decision we take in the moment can change it. There are some fixed moments in time you cannot avoid, that are necessary to happen, but they are not many." He said and shook his head.

"I understand, I wish I knew at the same time."

"If you know what might happen there are high chances that indirectly you cause it to happen." He said as his hand found hers and squeezed it lightly. "In the end it will be alright." He added and smiled when he felt her fingers intertwined with his.

"You have a point." She mumbled and turned her eyes towards the window on her side. It was dark but peaceful at the same time, she just wished that the road back would take longer than it should.

A while later he stopped the car in front of her house and let her hand go.

"I'll see you soon." He said and looked at her. "Don't be sad, I promise." He added seeing her sad face.

"See you soon." She said and almost jumped out of the car.

He just shook his head and drove off as he knew that this was her way of dealing with things. She did not like to say goodbye even for a few hours. She did not like to be alone no matter how much she said it.

Rose entered the house and locked the door behind her. She looked around the ground floor for a bit and concluded that Isis and Fenrir were still gone.

She sat at the dining table and poured herself a glass of whiskey before lighting a cigarette. She looked at the diary that was still on the table and thought a bit before opening it again.

"August 20th, 1671, England

Louis...he's gone. It's been a week, but I still cannot believe that now I am alone. Distant relatives are pressuring me to marry but is not something I care to do. They should just stay away from here.

You see dead diary... is not just Louis that's gone. Many others too. They seem to just vanish in thin air only to be found dead, drained of all their blood. All around that damned... I should keep my composure as I do not know who might read these lines. I feel the need to know. To find the truth about that man. If he's the cause of our misfortune, he must pay but... that's what my mind dictates. I've been dreaming about him again, every night. I've seen him more often during the day as well.

I drew his portrait; I will hide the imagine in between these pages. I thought that maybe if I do, he will leave my thoughts, but it seems that he is here to stay."

Rose chuckled reading the lines but the idea that a portrait of the vampire might be in the pages, she decided to shuffle through them slowly, as before she directly went to the last entry. It did not take her long to find the yellowed paper, a little stuck in between other two pages. With care she took it out and could not believe her eyes as the man was no other than Sebastian.