Waiting For Apricity

Chapter 2

Man or beast

A glimmer of moonlight caught my eye, slipping through the dense canopy above. A clearing appeared—a fragile sanctuary from the nightmare behind me. With one final burst of energy, I broke free of the trees and collapsed to my knees, gasping for breath as the eerie calm settled around me. The silence closed in, and the lurking creatures faded, as if the forest itself had decided to let me go.

I sat there, catching my breath, frustration biting at me, while I account the panic that lingered on me. "I'm such a looser" I scoff, I promised myself I wouldn't let fear determine my fate, yet here I was running. Rising to my feet, I brushed the dirt and leaves from my torn clothes, feeling a fragile sense of relief. As The shadows that had pursued me seemed to melt back into the forest, slipping into the darkness from which they came.

As my heart steadied, questions began to surface, rippling through the quiet like pebbles tossed in still water. How had I ended up here, alone in a world teeming with creatures, left to wander beneath a night sky so vast it felt indifferent to my existence? Glancing around the clearing, I looked up to the stars and whispered, "Even Eve had Adam." The words slipped from my lips, swallowed by a silence that pressed in close, as if it, too, were haunted.

Answers lay hidden, I felt, buried deep within memories just out of reach, fragments waiting to be uncovered like relics in the dark soil of my mind.

But for now, survival took precedence. I needed to find a way through the shadows of this realm, to trace the hidden paths that might lead me to the truth—truth lurking within the tangled roots and ancient stones. And maybe, just maybe, to find others like me. The weight of solitude pressed heavily upon me, its cold ache settling into my bones. I could only hope, with a silent, fragile yearning, that I was not truly alone.

I inhaled deeply, grounding myself in the forest's thick, earthy scent as I let its silence calm my heart. The trees murmured around me, whispering secrets only they could know, and with their gentle reassurance, the earlier sense of foreboding faded. I felt ready to return home—to the heart of the forest, where the shelter I'd woven into the canopy waited like an old friend for my restless soul.

I'd barely taken a few steps when a faint crunch of branches snapped the quiet. I froze, fear rooting me to the spot. Slowly, I turned, and there, stepping from the shadows, was a dark figure—his outline sharp against the night's dimness. I could do nothing but stare, held captive by the sight of him—a man with a demon's allure, whose eerie beauty sent a thrill of both dread and wonder through me. His hair fell dark as midnight around his face, framing a gaze that shimmered with silver light, otherworldly and sharp.

His voice poured over me, rich and low, every word laced with a dark, magnetic pull that sent a shiver racing down my spine. It was a voice that belonged to shadows, seductive yet edged with an icy threat. "Who dares trespass in the forbidden forests of Moanae?" he demanded, his words cutting through the air like silk sharpened by winter's bite. His gaze held mine, merciless and unyielding. "What clan or creature pact do you belong to?"

For a heartbeat, I felt rooted to the spot, my breath caught in my chest. The truth sat heavy on my tongue, but I couldn't let him see through me. His very presence felt like an ancient warning, a riddle to be deciphered if I were to survive this encounter. I took a breath, forcing my voice to steady even as it quivered under his scrutiny. "I am but a wanderer," I said, tasting each word as though they were my last. "A solitary soul, seeking solace in these woods. I hold no allegiance to any clan or creature pact."

His silver eyes, sharp and unsettling, narrowed, and for an instant, a flicker of something else amusement? Or perhaps something darker lit within them. "Your words carry a taste of deceit," he murmured, his lips twisting into a smile that was as chilling as it was beautiful. It was the kind of smile that hinted at secrets he alone held; a glimpse of a dark world he could plunge me into at any moment. "But I'll allow it, for now. Remember, human, the price of falsehood in these lands is steep."

A wave of dread washed over me, leaving my heart pounding painfully in my chest. "Thank you... for your mercy," I whispered, feeling the words slip past my lips like a prayer. He continued to look at me, his gaze heavy with an intensity that felt as though it could strip my very soul bare. And then, without another word, he melted back into the shadows, as if the forest itself had swallowed him whole.

The silence that followed was almost crushing, and only then did his words truly settle over me, cold and unyielding. Human—he had called me human. And though he had left, his presence lingered in the air, like the echo of a storm that had yet to pass.

Heart pounding with both defiance and intrigue, I pursued him through the ancient, tangled pathways of Moanae. The forest felt alive, its towering trees leaning inward as if eavesdropping, their branches casting twisted shadows across the narrow path. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and crushed pine, each breath filling me with a strange sense of belonging. I felt as though I was being swallowed by the very bones of the forest, as if Moanae itself held its breath, waiting to see what I would do next.

At last, I found him in a secluded clearing, bathed in the soft, silver light of the moon. He stood unmoving, the lines of his body etched with a precision that seemed both sculpted and wild. His dark hair, loose and wind-tossed, framed his face in a way that only emphasised the sharp angles of his cheekbones and the proud, unyielding line of his jaw. The moonlight caressed his skin, making it almost luminescent against the midnight shadows, and his eyes—piercing silver—held a gleam that seemed to burn from some hidden depth. He looked like something conjured from a myth; a creature crafted by the very stars that shone down upon him.

Drawing in a steadying breath, I stepped forward, daring to close the distance between us. My voice was soft but resolute. "Why did you call me human?" I asked, the question slipping from my lips like a secret. "What do you know about me?"