He was a creature born of shadows, one who was roaming with a adventurous spirit in his own universe until fate struck him with a curse. A curse, that was yet to befall on him and struck him right at the moment he was at the highest - only by an unf...
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Asteria's Pov
I literally raced through the way, only to find out why that screeching sound came. The forest was quite dense, and as far as I knew, it had been left untouched, thus wild. When I entered, I heard a faint voice of laughter. I froze—it wasn't an animal, but a man. Could it be a thief? Or worse, a monster?
I remembered the story of snow monsters. But they lived in the Himalayas—there was no way one could appear in our small habitat, right?
"Wait, am I starting to sound dramatic like Vedehi?" I thought to myself. Well, I can't blame her influence on me, especially when I'm stuck in a situation like this.
Summoning all my courage, I resolved to move forward. Monster or not, I would fight it. I grabbed a log lying nearby.
Then, I saw him—a man in a black cloak, standing before me with a sword. But calling him a man seemed like an insult. He was a giant!
I screamed at the top of my lungs, but in my panic, my foot caught on a vine. I lost my balance and closed my eyes, expecting to fall.
But... I didn't fall. Instead, I heard a loud thud. The giant had fallen instead of me.
"What a shot, Asie! That was... perfect," I thought, sarcastically congratulating myself.
I untangled myself from the vines and approached the fallen giant, to check if he was okay.
"Oh no! You're bleeding... I'm sorry, sir!" I exclaimed, panicked.
The man had a nasty head wound and was bleeding profusely. I pulled out my handkerchief and pressed it against his head.
"I'm really sorry, sir... it's my fault. I was startled and thought you were a thief..." I stammered, struggling to form words as my mind raced.
He raised his eyes and stared into mine. His eyes were so beautiful—ocean blue and deep. He wasn't moving, as if he were spellbound. I guessed he might be feeling dizzy, probably because the wound was deep, and he had lost a lot of blood.
I took his wrist to check his pulse, but his hand—it was unnaturally cold.
"Sir, please hold this cloth against your wound. I'll fetch a first-aid kit. Just wait here!" I said hurriedly and ran off toward the cottage. Thankfully, Grandpa was still asleep. Otherwise, this would've caused a scene.
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Erebus Pov'
I had no idea what sort of creature just cracked my skull. The book never mentioned Earthlings being so... formidable. First, a squirrel pricked my elbow, and now this girl? She knocked me down?
The Dark Knight—the Lord of the Dark World—taken down by a five-foot creature from the world of hopes.
I groaned in pain. This girl was babbling something nonsensical, though her voice sounded like a melody. I wanted to silence her, but when I lifted my head to do so, I was left dumbfounded.
She was beautiful. Her brown locks shimmered like bronze in the light, and her complexion was so fine. Her black eyes were deep, and I felt this inexplicable urge to drown in them. I couldn't move. Everything else became blurred except her face, and I even forgot to breathe.
It felt like she'd cast some spell on me—as if the world had stopped.
She took my hand and checked my pulse, while I just stood there, staring at her like a statue. This was so unlike me.
My reverie broke when I realized she was no longer with me. She had gone to fetch something, but her absence hurted more than my wound. A few minutes later, she returned with a box and started treating my injury.
Though I had the power of self-healing due to my abilities, I chose to enjoy this moment.
The Lord being served by a mortal... It actually didn't sound so bad.
I felt too drawn to her, unable to resist the urge to just sit and watch her. This was keeping me from returning to the kingdom. But, to my dismay, she went away —perhaps to fetch something again.
I used my power to heal the wound and headed back to the passage to return to the kingdom. It felt disheartening to leave, but I had no choice. I reassured myself that I could always visit again. Yet, in the next moment, I regretted not even asking her name.
When I turned back, the path was closed, and suddenly everything blurred around me.
