Don't blame me, love made me crazy
If it doesn't, you ain't doin' it right
『the darkling x femaleoc』
pre-shadow&bone
extended summary inside
cover by @-judeduarte
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chapter five; can you remember the last time you weren't lonely?
𝕷iya
"SOMETHING'S PLAGUING YOUR MIND. You're not focusing," Baghra's voice was slightly rough, but from the undertones, she could hear some worry displayed for the woman sitting in front of her.
Aleksander was plaguing her mind and ever since that night in the kitchen, her nights became worse—she craved him more than anything. His words were circling in her head just as the wish to find out if he was sincere. So, yes, for these past three days, she wasn't as focused in the sessions with Baghra.
"Haven't been sleeping well," Liya mumbled, clasping her hands together as suddenly this wooden chair became extremely uncomfortable.
Baghra's cane slightly hit the cement beneath them, "Don't lie to me, child. You might be able to fool others with your words, but not me."
A frown turned her lips down, she closed her eyes and gave in to the never-ending darkness, "Is there something wrong with me?"
The wooden chair slightly squeaked, meaning that the older woman leaned back on it, "I've noticed the way he looks at you. As you keep your distance, he only looks for you even when you are not in the room."
It slightly put her out of place that Baghra knew that she was speaking about Aleksander, but it didn't surprise her. There was something familiar about Baghra and him. There was a little sadness in the woman's chest lingering whenever she spoke about him that reminded her about her own mother when they all lost Genya.
"I don't know much about him."
"You think he is hiding something?" The woman's voice slightly raised.
Liya slightly shrugged, "His heart seems ancient. It seems mysterious, but at the same time, truthful. I want to battle with my own thoughts when I hear his heartbeat – I don't want to believe it."
"And if he is evil? What would it mean to you?"
She took a moment of silence before answering, "I know he is not a good person. But are there... evil people? Are there people who are born evil? I don't think so... Even the Black Heretic might not be as horrible as others describe him."
Baghra's heart loudly skipped a beat and Liya gave in to that. Furrowing her eyebrows, she slightly leaned forwards but didn't say a thing.
"The Black Heretic has taken too many lives not to be called evil, my child," the woman silently said.
"The war has taken even more throughout the centuries. No matter how many lives were lost during it, people are not putting it to an end because if it were truly evil – would it have continued for so long?"
