Timeless - Mark Tuan

Chapter 29

"Annie?!?" The voice of the man cascades across the road and to my ear, soft ... calling ... "Arnisa!" His mouth not moving one bit, yet I know it's him calling me. 

"Arnisa!" I hear Lady Ealasaid shouting, but she seems distant. "NO! Come back here."

"I found you." A sinister smile forms on the man's lips. I still can't make out his face as his hood casts a shadow over it. Only his blazing eyes and his lips are visible. 

"Who ... Who are you?" I ask, surprised as to how close I already am. I'm standing right in front of him. "How do you know me?"

"I've been searching all over for you, my Arnisa." His hand goes to my back, pulling me closer to him. 

My heart beat starts to pump faster in terror. I want to turn and run, but I can't move. My eyes seem to be locked to his as I look up at him. 

"Arnisa." Lady Ealasaid's cries start to fade and I feel myself moving. The buildings on my side shift from one to another as both the man and I go further down the path ... towards the darkest part of the street. 

"Where are you taking me?" My lips are trembling, making it hard to speak. "Who ... are ... you?"

Before he can say anything, or even do anything, a bolt of lightning shoots down from the sky and hits the ground just beside our feet, creating a deafening sound and making the both of us fall to our side on the ground. 

"It's him." I hear a boy's voice coming nearer. Three pairs of footsteps approach. "Take her."

I get up quickly, shaking my head, ridding myself from the enchantment the man from earlier just put me on. 

"Arnisa." He's on his feet, too, grabbing my hand before I can run away. "Trust me. We have to get away from here." He is saying as he pulls me behind him. 

"No. Wait." I try to yank my hand free, but he grips it tighter. 

Heat from the fire he created behind us start to catch up on us and we quicken our steps. 

"That was her!" I hear one of the three boys saying from the other side of the burning road. "Shit! That was Annie!"

______

I watch the man walk back and forth from one window to the other and back to the door, double checking everything. He finally sighs and walks towards me, pulling down his hood, making me see his face. 

He's not someone I know. I'm sure I haven't seen him before. Even back in the old village where I lived with my mom. Not even in Mako's village. Yet, there's something about him that seems familiar. 

"Who are you?" I ask for the nth time tonight as he stands in front of me. The aura around him calms down, giving out a brighter color. Wait a minute .... the power emanating from him ... "You ..." I step back. "You're the one after me back in the woods." I quickly put my defenses up, shielding myself from the incoming man. 

"Arnisa." He heaves out another sigh. "I'm not here to harm you." 

"Then why were you after me?"

"I searched far and wide for you, my Arnisa." He retreats when he realizes he won't get any closer to me. He goes to the couch and casually rests his arms at the back of the chair, crossing his legs. "I can't believe you're finally standing in front of me." He chuckles. 

I huff, showing him how irritated I'm getting since he doesn't answer any of my questions straight. "Your name?"

"Oh..." He sits up straight and offers his hand. "Where are my manners. I almost forgot." He laughs. "Jinyoung."