The Devil is the Villainess (COMPLETED)

Chapter XVI: Late Night Visitor

As the heavy wooden door thudded shut with a finality that echoed in the hallway, Medea couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction ripple through her. Did he dare to tempt the Devil? That man certainly had the guts. With a small shake of her head, she turned her attention back to her book, eager to lose herself in its pages once more.

But her peace was short-lived.

A soft rustle from the balcony caught her attention, drawing her gaze away from the printed words. Her ears perked up, attuned to the faintest of sounds, and she turned her head to peer through the gauzy veil of her white curtains. There, amidst the gentle sway of fabric in the night breeze, stood a silhouette. Familiar yet unexpected.

A soft smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she carefully closed her book, setting it aside with gentle reverence. Rising from her bed, she moved with silent grace across the room, her bare feet making a sound against the cool floor. With a deliberate motion, she reached out and unlatched the window, the hinges protesting softly as she pushed it open.

And there he was.

He seemed almost ethereal in the moonlight, his silver hair catching the faint glow and shimmering like spun silk in the night breeze. His features, so achingly beautiful, could have belonged to a creature of myth or legend. And yet, here he stood before her, real and tangible.

His amethyst eyes met hers, filled with a hint of hesitation and surprise, and her heart fluttered softly in response. With a voice that was barely more than a whisper, she spoke.

"What are you doing here in the middle of the night, Cael?"

Caelus's gaze, light and searching, met Medea's as he spoke, his voice barely more than a whisper in the dimness of her chamber. "I wanted to see you."

Medea blinked in response, momentarily unsure of how to react. But instead of dwelling on her uncertainty, she took action. Without a word, she reached out and grasped his wrist, pulling him into the cold darkness of her room. The window closed with a thud behind them, casting their figures in the soft glow of moonlight filtering through the glass.

"You wanted to see me? At this hour?" Medea's disbelief echoed in the stillness of the room. Despite a part of her secretly longing for his presence, she couldn't help but question the suddenness of his visit. Why had he sought her out? Was there some pressing matter he needed to discuss? She mulled over the possibilities, contemplating whether his motives were purely business-like. Nothing more, nothing less.

"I haven't seen you in days. I began to wonder if something had happened... if you had returned to your own world," his words were delivered without hesitation, causing Medea to stare at him, her thoughts momentarily arrested by the sincerity in his tone.

For a moment, silence hung heavy in the air, broken only by the soft rustle of fabric and the faint hum of the night outside.

Finally, Medea cleared her throat, averting her gaze awkwardly. "So, you came to ensure I hadn't vanished?" The question hung between them, laden with unspoken implications. Caelus nodded solemnly, his expression unwavering.

"Yes, I did."

A slight pause lingered in the air after Medea's inquiry and Caelus's answer, the silence thick with unspoken tension. Finally, she broke it, her voice cutting through the awkwardness like a knife through butter. "Now that you've seen me, are you going to leave?" she asked, her tone tinged with a hint of resignation.

Caelus met her gaze before responding, his words measured. "No, not yet," he replied, his voice carrying a weight that mirrored the gravity of the moment.