𝐌𝐎𝐎𝐍𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐍 | 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐧𝐞𝐲

𝟎𝟏. 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐞

HIS EYES FLASHED OPEN AND HE GASPED, SITTING UPRIGHT. His mind spun with confusion, and his vision was—at first—blurred. His eyesight slowly cleared as he began to make out the cozy surroundings of the room. His eyes anxiously flashed from the dresser to the comforter he now rested underneath. His memories slowly drizzled back to remind him of the evening's past events. He could remember the decrepit and crumbling walls of his past abode. In his mind's eyes, he could see the oozing onyx liquid held within the transparent vial. He recalled the storm. He smiled with triumph when remembering the curse. Then he faltered. His lips curled downward into a frown. The prophecy...

His face twisted with rage as he searched the room again, but this time with a purpose. Where was it? He thrashed about in the bed to untangle himself from the covers, then rushed to stand. However, this proved to be a mistake. As soon as his feet touched the cool hardwood floor, his knees buckled and he collapsed to the ground.

He quickly shook his head, trying to orient himself and collect his thoughts, but the action only increased the dizzying feeling. The sweet incense released from the candle on the bedside dresser nauseated him, and his aggravation grew with how serene the air was. He placed a hand to his dizzying head, then recoiled at the touch. Startled, he lowered his hand in front of his face. He eyed the soft pink flesh with dread. He rose from the ground, floundering over to the closest reflective surface, clinging to the cool glass with his now pallid hands to avoid falling a second time. Panic reflected in the pair of seafoam eyes staring back at him. Mimicking his actions, a delicate hand—one he couldn't claim as his own—rose up to his dark hairline and brushed through the soft, jet black locks attached. He glared at the stranger that stood on the other side of the glass. And as his eyebrows knitted together with the rage that clouded his mind, the stranger's expression shifted to match.

He yanked on the mirror with the intent of crashing it against the ground, yet to his surprise it took much more effort than he was accustomed to. When the glass shattered against the hardwood floor, it scattered across the room. The jarring noise that resounded involuntarily caused him to cover his now delicate ears. The frown lines along his face deepened as he slowly slid down to the ground, deciding he didn't want to risk falling again. Thoughts floated in and out of his mind as he contemplated the newfound effects of the curse. It appeared mortality was a catch not openly expressed in the fine print of the deal. He was given little to no time to mourn his newfound weakness as a sudden, firm knock on the other side of the door startled him from his thoughts. A foreign sense of vulnerability caused him to slowly move further back into the corner of the room.

"Who's there?" he asked and immediately grasped his throat.

The voice that had emerged was softer and warmer than the one he was acquainted with. The original power and intimidation it possessed was gone. Disgust flashed across his face in disapproval of his new physique. An expression only visible to himself from the other mirror in the room that hung from the wall. Regret was settling in the pit of his stomach. How could one be all-powerful, if they gave up all their power to be so?

"It's just me, sir," an older woman's British voice could be heard from the other side of the door. "Ms. Angelo."

He frowned and muttered the name under his breath finding no familiarity in it. "Who—What do you want?"

A sigh was heard from outside. "As your housekeeper, Mayor Wraith, it's my job to check in on you. I heard a large crash from your room while preparing breakfast and thought I ought to make sure you were alright."

Growing curious, he used the wall to help him stand, then stumbled over toward the door. Glass scattered further throughout the room as he shuffled through the middle of the mess to reach the other side of the room. He placed a hand on the doorknob but flinched at the feel of the cool metal in his palm. After another moment of hesitation, he twisted the knob. The door was cracked open as he stood in confusion, failing to recognize the woman on the other side.