The deep

Lies beneath the waves

Disclaimer: For mature readers only

Golden glittering specks of dust glimmered in the early morning sun. Lilith had been awake for a while at that time, but she did not move. She was wrapped up in that soft white blanket she had come to love, next to her slept Ambrose, still peacefully in his dreamscape.

Her sigh carried the weight of yesterday's tears that still clung to her skin, leaving a lingering sense of emptiness in her chest and a sharp sting in her eyes. Lost in a trance, she gazed into the void, allowing a tumult of thoughts to swirl unchecked in her mind. Confessing her dark past to Ambrose had been an arduous task, each admission of the horrors she had endured or inflicted feeling like a jagged piece torn from her soul. Yet, alongside this struggle lay another layer of complexity—she held back certain truths, keeping them veiled behind walls built from fear and caution.

Despite baring much of her history to him, there remained chambers within herself that she dared not unlock for anyone. Their acquaintance was but a fleeting moment in the grand scheme of time, she couldn't relinquish all her secrets to him so readily. Though his kindness and unwavering support touched an unexplored part of her crumbling soul, an invisible barrier restrained her from wholeheartedly trusting him.

Gratitude swelled within her for Ambrose's deception towards Jack, shielding her from further scrutiny. By denying Jack's accusations with such conviction, Ambrose inadvertently intertwined their fates even tighter than before. Lilith understood the precarious position this placed him in, his act of loyalty had painted a target on his back, complicating any thoughts of escape or departure from their current predicament.

Jack's presence cast a looming shadow over the town and its surroundings, drawing people in with his manipulative charm that could extract any information from them. The fear gripped her tightly as she realized he had tracked her down without visual confirmation, his ability to instill terror without laying eyes on her was unsettling. 

She trembled at the thought of his dangerous obsession with controlling every aspect of her life, a control she had dared to take away. The consequences of her defiance now seemed ominously lethal as Jack's patient and calculated pursuit left her with a chilling awareness of her limited time before he would inevitably find her.

Ambrose stirred beside her, his presence a sudden interruption in Lilith's turbulent thoughts. She gazed at him as he slept, the weight of guilt pressing down on her for disrupting his peace and bringing chaos into his life. Despite the remorse tugging at her heart, she refused to let vulnerability show on her face. The act of breaking away from Jack had sparked a slow but steady rekindling of strength within her, like embers coming to life in a darkened room.

Lying there in the quiet, she felt a new determination settling deep within her, anchoring her resolve like roots of an ancient tree. Though using Ambrose for shelter and escape troubled her conscience, there was a surge of empowerment that coursed through her as she subtly manipulated him. It was a dangerous game she played with finesse, yet beneath it all, she couldn't ignore the prickling annoyance caused by Ambrose's own manipulative tendencies.

Despite the unease that lingered in the air between them, Lilith found herself drawn to this intricate dance of control and power. It was a diversion from the impending sense of doom that loomed over their fragile alliance, a distraction that fed her restless spirit and kept the shadows at bay. 

Remembering how games had been her refuge in moments of confinement or monotony, she couldn't help but be captivated by the tangled web of deceit they now found themselves entwined in. She was good at it too, unfortunately, he was as well, which annoyed her slightly, but on the other hand, it provided a challenge, and distraction was what her soul burned for right now. She used to always act out like that, if she felt cornered or constricted or simply bored, she'd turn on the games and would play until her hunger was satiated.