ANASTASIA:
A shiver ran through me, making me hiss as the cold darkness surrounded me. The night was silent, painted with shadows.
Where am I?
Void gripping my hand, making me float in the middle of nowhere. Looking around I found water. Everywhere. Cold, dark and lonely, gripping me, choking me. Each second slipped away like sand escaping my grasp. I struggled to escape, desperate for freedom.
Where the heck am I?
In the emptiness, distant sounds crept through the silence. In the dark night, faint cries reached me, muffled and elusive. I didn't dare move, trapped by an invisible panic. It felt like reason was being strangled.
Suddenly, the abyss shifted, pulling me down like a weight through water, cutting my skin like thin ice. It began to drown me. I screamed, but only a few bubbles floated above.
Gasping, I found myself submerged, trapped beneath the water and darkness. The cold sea embraced me, suffocating me. Panic clawed at me as I sank into the depths, each breath becoming precious. Nothing to hold on to. No one to save me.
"No air," I gasped, water flooding my senses. I was trapped in the abyss, drowning. Will I die here?
Maybe. There seemed no way to escape this fate.
But I can't die here. Not like this. I have things to do. Justice to make and uncover the truth buried for years. I can't just die. What do I do?
I looked around, realizing this might be the end and I had to find a way to save myself.
Then, like a surge of adrenaline, I found the strength to search for an escape. Gathering everything that I had been left with, I pushed myself up. Through the shivering coldness of the water, I tried to move my hands and swim towards the light for the last time.
But shadowy hands bound me, pushing me deeper into the void, letting me drown...
I fought, with all that I had left, but the mysterious force overwhelmed me, almost choking me to death. No matter how hard I try, the void won't let me go. But I didn't give up. I tried and tried and tried until I was left with nothing but disappointment.
After a few minutes of the brutal struggle, my body finally gave up in the hands of the abyss. My body began to drown in the void of the depth of the sea.
I was dying. I could feel that, but there was nothing I could do about it. Tears mixed with water, and my cries were silenced, accepting my defeat. I let myself flow down. Towards death.
Amidst the murky water, the surroundings mirrored the darkest night sky. As I continued to descend, despair gripped me, urging me to scream. But my voice dissolved into bubbles.
Is this my end?
It must be.
With the rush of water, the last drop of my tears mingled with it. Slowly, my consciousness began to fade, the line between life and the unknown blurring. A thought invaded my mind - Will my fight be known in history or buried with my body?
The answer was unknown.
I closed my eyes, surrendering to the darkness. Falling, fading, spiralling into the abyss.
Into nothingness...
Suddenly, within the silent terror, a whisper broke through like a ray of hope. "Estrellita?"
My eyes flickered open, trying to discern the source. Someone is here! There is still hope!
"Who— Who are you?" I asked, my voice trembling in the shadows.
Somehow, within the bubbles of my voice, my message reached out.
Then, like lightning on a stormy night, a glimmer emerged from the obscurity, and a shadowy figure took a manly form. It wasn't human. Its muscular body bore no resemblance to anything human. It was like the darkness itself, derived from the deepest part of the ocean. Its eyes, an abyss of blackness, seemed capable of swallowing me whole. I should have run and swum faster to avoid another threat. Yet, like a moth drawn to a flame, I found myself irresistibly drawn to the void. To the darkness.
In that shroud of obscurity, its eyes alone danced with a tantalizing fire. A sight both monstrous and beguiling, I couldn't look away. For a fleeting moment, I lost track of my surroundings, the threat looming above my head, of my very identity, and of his.
But like the magic he held, the darkness and water somehow were his followers. He motioned his forefinger in my general direction as the water encircled me, filling my lungs, and each breath grew shorter, choking me.
No. Was he here to harm me? I fought for my life once again. But I was too drained. Giving up, I could only shed tears.
Then, like truth, the shadowy figure drew near, his cold hand enveloping mine. He loomed monstrously over me, his presence almost devouring, and yet, he didn't. Instead, this time, he held my hand gently like a petal of its favourite flower and guided me through the depths towards the surface.
Finally.
As we swam and the surface neared, a gleaming light surrounded us, a beacon in the darkness, shining with irresistible allure—freedom.
I looked at my guide, and it was only later that I understood that light was none other than an enigmatic force. He swam alongside me. His hands steadily guided me to the light. Yet still, something dark pulled me down. But he didn't give up on me. This mysterious entity, akin to the night's devil, held my hand to swim faster.
As we reached near to the surface, the light became clear, allowing me to take a look at him. I almost gasped. He embodied the essence of a devil, his visage chiselled from the deepest shadows, his eyes ablaze with the enchantment of a distant star, and his hair as dark as the night itself. Yet, amidst his darkness, there was a magnetic pull in his smile—gentle, pure, reminiscent of a fallen angel gracefully cloaked in the obsidian folds of the night.
As we finally broke through the surface, I gasped for breath, my lungs craving the oxygen they had been denied. Coughing uncontrollably, I fought to fill my lungs with air, struggling to come to terms with my surroundings and the entity standing right next to me, never letting go.
"Who are you?" I finally whispered, my voice quivering with uncertainty. He didn't reply as we both floated in the midst of nowhere. His blazing eyes darted towards me as if finding his own answers.
Something within me told me that he was no better than the darkness I had just fought a few minutes ago. But how could I ignore that it was the one who helped me, saved me? Even then, I had a hunch that something about it was not right. How can an entity be so captivating that it almost hurts to consider he might be just a possible fiction?
I should have screamed, should have run away, fought to free myself from this unknown entity standing before me. But I couldn't. It was too captivating, too enthralling, and I was compelled to stay.
My mind raced with questions.
Who are you? Who am I? Where am I?
But there were no answers to be found. Instead, its gaze remained fixed on me, compelling me to blend with its form. Then, like the moonlight slowly glowing in the dark, its cold hand reached for my face, cradling it with such care that might have I stumbled, I knew he would catch me.
But who is he?
This time, he responded in a voice as rich and velvety as the darkest night sky, a tone woven from the very fabric of the cosmos.
"I am your darkness. I am your master. I am your monster. Yet, you are the flame inside me," he replied, his voice resonating with the night sky. "I will shatter you, yet I will have you in perfectly aligned pieces. In the end, you will be mine, as much as I will be yours."
His words, dark and void, continued to captivate me like a light in the darkness, drawing me further into believing his woven words. In the vast ocean of nowhere, the cold only touched my feet, while where his touch lay, on my cheeks, there was only warmth.
He held me spellbound. Slowly, he took away his hand, and I missed the warmth.
Who is he? What is his true identity?
Cold gripped me, and I began to struggle to float on the surface. I frowned in panic. Will I sink this time?
I was too afraid to let go, so I gasped as I reached to catch him. But he moved quicker than me. His hands reached my thighs, lifting me into the water and preventing me from drowning. My hands quickly encircled his neck for support as I gasped at the sudden closeness, yet I couldn't let go.
"You are mine, Estrellita. You have always been mine," he whispered to the night. "And I tend to take care of what belongs to me. Especially when it comes to you."
In the next instant, his lips met mine, drawing away the chill and replacing it with his warmth. The sensation of his skin against mine was like a fire, and my core pulsed, pooled with warm liquid, ignited with desire.
I was stirred by the Devil's touch. I was twistedly aroused by the Devil.
The kiss was prolonged, intense, and passionate as if it sought to banish all the emptiness within me and fill me with his ardour. I got carried away, like a person hypnotized.
How can someone fall for the Devil? Yet, here I am, giving myself to this man, who was no less than one. I couldn't justify it.
At that moment, an irresistible force swept over me, compelling me to hold on to him, the only beacon of warmth in the vast, frigid ocean. I pulled him closer, our lips meeting in a passionate kiss that set our very souls ablaze. Fire danced between us, consuming us in its fervent glow. His gentle hand caressed the contours of my back, while the other cradled me in a tender embrace, creating an unbreakable bond.
Our tongues met in a fervent dance, and I tasted the darkness that lingered between us—a flavour both forbidden and tantalizing, an elixir of desire that intoxicated my senses.
I forgot where I was, or that I was dying a few minutes back. All I could remember was that this man was someone I could never forget.
As the kiss deepened, we became lost in each other, our breaths becoming one, our hearts beating in harmony. The world around us faded into obscurity, leaving only the enchanting melody of our shared passion.
Finally, after the prolonged battle of our tongues, we broke apart, gasping for the precious air our lungs craved. His forehead rested gently against mine, his eyes, deep pools of mystery, once again, locked onto mine, delving into the depths of my being.
"I vow that even if the world were to burn in my fire, you will be safe in my arms. Your fire will only dance amidst the chaos of destruction, and I will always return to your flame."
And then, he kissed me again. Once again, I tasted the darkness, the void within my mouth. It was sweet, bitter, and...
Wait.
Something is utterly wrong.
I breathed and gasped as I realized where I was and what I was doing. I was in my dream. Or was this real?
Why did it feel so real?
I pushed the shadowy figure away. His face frowned at the sudden detachment, but I couldn't care less. Finally, I had come to my senses. I was kissing a stranger. That too, a very scary one.
What on Earth was I doing? I can't kiss a stranger and feel like that. This is forbidden. Totally unhinged. I couldn't believe in myself. Of how stupid I was to get carried away.
Am I dreaming?
It must be.
I clenched my fists and called upon my consciousness.
I need to wake up! My inner voice told me.
For the first time, I was terrified of the warmth in the icy water. Without thinking, I propelled myself forward, part swimming, part flying, driven by instinct, until I reached a distant light to draw near.
Just a little more. I told myself.
I couldn't look back. I was too scared or maybe ashamed of myself.
Desperately reaching for hope, I fought with all my strength before I reached near a brilliant light that wasn't him. Alarms rang in my ears, and I ran faster. It suddenly shone so bright, nearly blinding me, and...
BEEP – BEEP!
I jolted awake, gasping for air, my heart racing, and took a shaky breath. The room that greeted me was serene and familiar, my luxurious Manhattan apartment in the bustling heart of New York City. Yet, the man in my dream, or rather, the haunting recurring nightmare, felt far too real.
Damn it! It was just another dream.
But it had felt so tangible, so hauntingly real. The memory of gasping for air, the pain, the helplessness while drowning... and something else.
Something I shouldn't have felt.
I was aroused, still tingling from the dream of the shadowy devil. The wetness on my shorts was the proof of my vivid nightmare. I gulped, pressing my thighs together.
"I vow that even if the world were to burn in my fire, you will be safe in my arms."
Was I just imagining things, or had someone actually spoken to me? I wasn't sure.
"Your fire will only dance amidst the chaos of destruction, and I will always return to your flame."
Even though I wasn't a romance fan, I have read fiction. The words echoed in my head, sending a chill down my spine and making my gut churn with unease. The words seem typically derived from one of the morally grey romance books. Unhinged and raw.
But the sound of the whisper was far too real to just wave it off as a dream.
Was it really a dream or could it be that someone was really here?
I scanned my room, searching for any indication, hoping to find any proof to validate my points this time, that someone had been there, but everything appeared exactly as it should be. Just like the other one, it was the voice of my dream.
I remembered my father's advice: "Maybe you should stop reading that thriller fiction, Ana. They're getting into your head."
When I had shared my nightmares with him, he'd assured me that they were simply a result of an overactive imagination. His words echoed in my ears, but this time...
It shouldn't have been like this. I shouldn't have felt this aroused by just a dream. I sighed in frustration. The friction between my legs made it worse.
The monstrous figure emerged from the shadows, eyes aflame like the stars. The kiss felt dreamy yet dangerously intoxicating.
Looking around once more, I couldn't find any answers. With a sigh, my gaze fell on the packed luggage, a clear sign that I would be leaving this place soon.
The morning was exhausted once again. I looked at my digital clock on the side table, and it displayed: 17th August 2023, 9:45 AM. I huffed as I removed my blanket. I have a plane to catch in two hours.
This year had thrown an unexpected twist into my academic journey—a surprise transfer to my hometown university. The decision had been abrupt, a result of my father's persistent desire for me to complete my studies at the prestigious Preston School of Law. After a whirlwind discussion, I reluctantly agreed, marking the start of my final year at one of the country's top institutions. Preston University.
It was an unusual alignment of my father's aspirations and my personal desires, finally merging. It was a hard decision. But it was for the best. I guess.
With a sigh, I brushed my hands through my hair. Still, there was something I was feeling inside, that I couldn't point right there. I touched my lips; they felt perfectly normal, yet the sensation of someone's touch lingered. It was as if someone had really kissed me.
Answers remained elusive.
Yet.
Maybe it was truly just a dream. Or could that be my stalker again? I had no idea. I have updated my security system and did not doubt the world's greatest security company. Yet, there were doubts in the further corner of my head.
What if....?
Perhaps the answers to these questions were concealed in the shadows, waiting for someone to unearth the truth, much like the question that had haunted me for 20 years.
Where is Emma Brown?
With my new journey, I hoped to finally uncover those answers.