Conquest of Magic

Part 56

He was the same man who had followed us in the forest. My stomach immediately churned at the sight of the stranger standing beside Stanley. His tall, muscular frame stood out, and he wore jeans and a fitted black shirt that gave him a bad boy allure. His thick, rust-coloured hair was styled away from his strong, model-like face. He laughed at something while talking to Stanley, giving me a peek at his dimples.

As I made my way to them, his amber eyes met mine, freezing the air around us. Though this was the first time I had seen him, he somehow looked familiar. He tilted his head at me and narrowed his eyes while keeping his smile in place. His expression suggested he already knew me.

"Kristen. This is Jackson," Stanley introduced the stranger. "Jackson, this is... well, you know who this is." Stanley's tone held a hint of mischief.

Jackson extended his hand, his amber eyes locked onto mine. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you," he said, his voice smooth and calm. "I've heard so much about you."

I shook his hand, trying to mask my nervousness. "Nice to meet you too, Jackson," I replied, my voice a bit shaky.

"Have you guys met before?" Terra asked, her eyes darting between us.

I shook my head slowly. "No, but he looks familiar. And those amber eyes... I can't shake the feeling that we've met before."

Jakson's smile widened, a hint of mystery in his eyes. "Sometimes, paths cross in ways we don't expect." He paused to stare deeply into my eyes, stepped closer to me, and placed his high right hand on my cheek, which took me by surprise.

Stunned, I froze on the spot. My hand turned cold, and the air around me stood still. I was getting a vision—a memory of his.

I saw Jackson chasing a girl happily, hugging her from behind, lifting her into the air, and spinning her around. He planted kisses on her neck, and they both laughed, enjoying the moment. They seemed incredibly happy. Then, the vision shifted. A wolf was running through the forest, searching for something and sniffing the ground for traces. It ran tirelessly, stopping abruptly when it saw a man holding a girl by her neck, her body dangling lifelessly, and blood on the man's lips. The man looked disturbingly familiar to me. The wolf howled and charged at full speed, causing the man to drop the girl's body and flee.

The wolf flipped her over, and my heart stopped when I saw the girl's face. I was shocked.

How is that possible?

Jackson cried out loud, holding the girl in his arms. A wave of sadness washed over me. Then the vision changed to the day of my accident at the mall. Suddenly, it all made sense. He was the one I had bumped into and fallen in front of. He had helped me up, looking at me with a shocked expression. He asked if I was okay, and I quickly apologised. He stood there, surprised, while staring at me. I felt my heart racing in my chest.

The vision shifted again, showing a wolf jumping in front of my car, causing my accident. I saw the incident through his eyes. My car hit him, and he yelped in pain, lying in a pool of blood. Despite his injury, he struggled to get up and came to my car to help me. Jackson called my name and tried to free me from my seat belt. He was trying so hard to help, but his injury made it difficult. He looked behind him and saw William running towards us from the woods. Jackson fled and hid himself. The vision stopped, and I pulled my hand back, gasping for breath.

As the vision ended, I found myself back in the present. I blinked up at Jackson with wide eyes. He watched me with a pained expression as if he had relived the memory I had just experienced. My mind raced with questions, and the surroundings seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of us locked in this inexplicable connection.