Tangled Shadows [COMPLETE]

chapter 4.

Author's pov-

It was a fine day when Eliana saw a familiar figure, it was him... Who was talking to her father that day. She thought to go and ask him who he actually was but stopped when she watched him coming towards her with a deliberate, unhurried stride, his tall frame cutting a striking figure against the dimly lit alleyway. The air seemed to grow colder as he approached, his broad shoulders casting a shadow that loomed larger than life. His long hair, unkempt yet somehow graceful, caught the wind, strands falling over his pale, fair skin. The dim light highlighted the sharp angles of his face, each scar telling a story of battles won and lost.

As he got closer, his calm, beautiful smile only deepened, the kind that might’ve been reassuring in another life, but now sent a shiver down her spine. His dark big doe eyes locked onto hers, unwavering, their darkness swallowing the small distance between them. It was as if he could see right through her, into her thoughts, her fears.

He paused a few steps away, letting the silence stretch, savoring the tension. His gaze swept over her, assessing, calculating, before his lips parted slightly. The smile widened, revealing a hint of something unsettling, a promise or a threat lingering just beneath the surface. He tilted his head, his voice low and smooth as velvet when he finally spoke, cutting through the silence like a blade.

"Eliana right, it's nice finally meeting you?"

Each word was gentle, yet carried a weight that pressed against her chest, making her breath hitch.

"Yes, sorry but I didn't..." Before she could finish her said "I'm Magnus... Magnus Mason.. hope you've heard about me."

"Yeah right, your father is actually a great personality... It's nice to meet you too Magnus" she snap.

"Indeed he's..." He snapped back.

"What brings you here by the way?.. i remember, I saw you few weeks ago, talking to my father" she asked confusingly.

"Ahh that day, it was nothing... Nothing special" he said eliana looked at him suspiciously as if she knew he's hiding something from her.

"I heard you aren't in the business, what you do for living" Eliana asked Magnus while walking through the alley.

"Currently I'm working under an organization that aims to rescue people from sex trafficking" he said softly.

"That's a great job magnus, I mean saving people... Is a great job" Eliana said.

They talked for few hours Eliana felt something strange, something she had never felt, she found someone to talk to Magnus was about to go when asked hesitatedly.

"Hey, before I go... there’s something I want to ask you."

"What is it?" She said, raising an eyebrow.

"I’ve got a race this a day after tomorrow. A big one. And... I want you to come" he said, smirks briefly, but then his expression grows serious.

"Well Magnus, I’m not really into that scene. All those people, the noise, the adrenaline... it’s not me" she sighs.

"But this one’s different. It’s important to me. Having you there—it’d give me a reason to push even harder. Come on, Eliana, just this once" he said, while taking a step closer to her.

Eliana glancing away, trying to remain indifferent, but there’s a hint of uncertainty in her voice- "You don’t need me there to win. You’ve done this a million times before as you've just told me."

Magnus's tone softens, his voice dropping as he looks at her with a sincerity that she rarely sees from him- "Yeah, but it’s not just about winning this time. It’s about knowing that someone... (hesitates, searching for the right words) that you are there, rooting for me. You make me feel like I’m not alone in this, you know?"

"You’re really pulling out all the stops here, huh? You think a few heartfelt words are gonna change my mind?" She says as she rolls her eyes, but there's a small smile forming.

"If that’s what it takes, then yeah. But seriously, Eliana... it’d mean a lot" he snap.

"Alright, fine. I’ll come to your race. But don’t expect me to be cheering my lungs out in the stands. I’ll probably be the one hiding in the back, wondering why I let you drag me there" she said taking a deep sigh.

"Thanks, Eliana. I owe you one..... See you than" he said.

Eliana watch him going, the door clicking shut behind him, a faint smile lingering on her lips as she whispers to herself "See you, Magnus."