A ray of white silver light washed inside the temple, bringing along a gentle gush of wind that softly swayed the candles. They were held by each and every person that knelt, casting eerie shadows.
They remained like that.
Smiling.
Silent.
Aesther watched them from the cleft of the coffin, holding her breath as she quietly cursed the awfully uncomfortable situation they have ended up in.
Ezrahl had his one hand rested above her head, supporting himself. He refused to meet her eyes even once, and the annoyance was clear by the way he tightly clenched his jaw.
It was an awkward position.
There was barely any distance between them, and even Aesther did not want to look at him as she silently cursed everything and anything.
"Is anything gonna happen or not?" she finally snapped, "They have been kneeling since half an hour!"
Her voice was a bit loud. But even then, no one outside reacted.
"Shall we go out…" she whispered.
Ezrahl said nothing.
He had said no words ever since they ended inside the coffin. He acted as she did not even existed and someone was keeping him there by shackling him with the strongest of bounds!
Aesther narrowed her gaze.
If he was going to ignore her for some petty reason, she knew how to make him speak.
"Move," Aesther shifted impatiently, "You're on my arm."
Ezrahl moved, there was hardly any space but she decided to not care about it.
A moment passed in silence.
"You're too close," Aesther grumbled, "Can't you get back a little?"
He did.
There was now half an inch more distance between them now.
Aesther sighed in feigned frustration, "How are you so heavy?"
"...."
Ezrahl pressed his lips into a thin line, and quietly looked outside the crack on the coffin. His gaze was focused outside like a silent predator catching sight of its prey.
Waiting to make a move.
But Aesther had to talk with him. They can't just remain trapped inside a coffin!
"You're really…" Aesther scoffed under her breath, deciding to make up her own plan.
Her mind, however, lingered for a moment too long on him. Ezrahl had always been a man of few words. It was hard to say or understand what he was truly thinking.
When they first met, Aesther thought he was just shy…
They were both young after all.
It was also during their young days that she slowly began to understand him. His silent rage, his selfless heart…
But that was all just an act.
Aesther's gaze dimmed as she licked her lips. She remembered what she must do, how she need to harden her heart and carefully create a path to his demise.
"I am sorry…" Her voice was low and emotionless as she whispered. "Sorry to make you end up like this…."
Ezrahl remained as he was.
She watched his indifferent expressions for a long moment, and then, just averted her gaze.
"You were right. We shouldn't have stayed here."
He blinked his eyes now, clearly confused as he looked at her. Aesther's mind was distant, dipping into the sea of their shared past lives as her heart became numb from the stirring emotions.
Ezrahl watched her for a few moments, and then closed his eyes as if he was holding himself back.
Aesther smiled a little, letting out a deep sigh.
'You aren't so different even now…'
However, her smile stilled when he spoke.
"Pardon me."
Before she could say anything, his hand gently swept behind her waist. Her heart skipped as she felt a moment of light weightlessness. Just like that, Ezrahl had changed their positions.
She reacted in sudden panic and tried to get up, but that only resulted in Aesther banging her head against the coffin roof and faltering over him.
Her face was hot and embarrassed.
"You won't be heavy."
Ezrahl stated in an indifferent voice.
"...."
Aesther looked at him with a dazed look of puzzlement. 'Did he think I was apologising all of sudden because I could no longer bear his weight??? It was not even there!'
'Idiot! You were being uncomfortably careful!'
Her head was resting over his chest. And perhaps it was because her own heart was racing so much, or perhaps her mind was just too confused, but she could not hear his heart.
Aesther bit her lips and fumbled around the darkness to find a place she can hold on to. There was hardly any space left because he was bigger than her.
"Why did you want to—" she tried to break the awkward silence, but Ezrahl gestured for her to stop.
He murmured a spell under his breath and a ray of scarlet light spread around the coffin and disappeared.
A soundproofing spell.
Aesther instinctively glanced outside, "Someone is coming now?"
He nodded.
She creased her brows a little, as the candle flames swayed wildly with the winds. Aesther unknowingly held her breath.
"Worry not," Ezrahl said in a low voice, he was looking at her with those same unreadable expressions as he always had. "I will keep you safe."
Aesther smiled a little.
She could not be scared by something like that. After knowing Ezrahl as much as she did, Aesther knew he had the situation under his control.
But being that close…
It left her uneasy.
Her heart was slowly becoming uneasy as they both waited in silence for that being to make itself known. The winds picked up outside, growing more unsteady and reckless.
The storm brought back memories.
There was an unfamiliarity in their familiar situation. Ezrahl was a different person now, but she felt as if she was once again in the past.
Held by those callous hands, claimed by his desires, and his rage.
She remembered when he came to her covered in blood. There was no emotion when he caressed her cheeks and made her sit on his lap.
The scent of wine was too strong on him.
And he quietly stared at her.
Aesther held that gaze with the same fire as him, the deep intense hatred, and the clear defiance.
He smirked, slightly tilting his head as he said.
"I hate you…"
The guilt was intense in her heart. But she stared back at him with a cold stare as he repeated the words she had told him countless times.
His grip on her wrist became firm and painful as he pulled her in his arms. Aesther was startled, but before she could say or do anything, she felt him rest his head on her shoulders.
She had never felt such raw fear before.
"I hate you so much," his voice was hoarse, "But you're all that's left now…"