The bustling hum of the local market filled the air, its stalls and alleyways teeming with people from all walks of life, purchasing their daily necessities.
Amidst the sea of eager shoppers, Lilith and Morgana set up their makeshift art station, in a small open space.
They both set a drawing board, an array of brushes, and a vibrant palette of colors which were arranged neatly beside them.
A smile was attached to their face as they watched the busy market, while deeply praying for someone to approach them for a portrait.
The market was a place where both the rich and the poor came because all sellers served their customers equally and things in the market were always known for being less expensive.
"Don't you think the market is a bit filled today?" Morgana questioned Lilith as she had her hands wrapped around her chest, observing the leather bags of passers-by.
"I don't think so." Lilith typed. "This market is always busy and filled with a lot of individuals, so I see no difference," Lilith added on her phone.
Morgana scoffed as she placed her legs across each other, eating a gum that she had bought earlier before.
"Have you applied for an interview? Or are you giving up on finding a company job?" Lilith was questioned by Morgana.
Morgana was the type of person who talked a lot and unlike her, Lilith was more reserved. She only talks whenever she was questioned or when the situation demands her to speak, and since she uses her phone to communicate, she hardly types much.
"I saw a job application online at a new company and I applied for it, but my fingers are crossed." Lilith typed as Morgana smiled in excitement.
The two friends began to chat about their everyday lives when a man showed up in front of them.
"Would you mind drawing a portrait for me?" He asked.
The man was in his late thirties and he was dressed in gray pants and a white long sleeve beneath it.
"Sure thing sir," Morgana stated as she stretched out her hands, gesturing a seat towards the man. "Please take your seat." She added.
The man took his seat as he smiled at Lilith who was staring intensely at him, and after a minute she averted her gaze away from him.
"What is the price of a portrait, if I may ask?" he inquired, his gaze now resting on Morgana.
His polite tone stood in stark contrast to the cold sneer that accompanied his words.
"A portrait would be forty dollars, sir," Morgana replied, her professional demeanor unwavering.
The man erupted into a burst of derisive laughter, his sneer growing more pronounced as he looked between the two artists with unconcealed disdain.
"You expect me to believe that a portrait costs forty dollars?" he snapped, his voice laced with coldness. "Do you think yourselves so renowned that you can command such an extraordinary price?"
With a scowl etched on his face, he rose from his seat and stormed away, leaving Morgana no chance to offer an explanation or refute his misheard statement.
Morgana sighed, rolling her eyes at him. "That dude is lucky that this market doesn't tolerate violence unless I'm going to show him what a market fight seems lik…"
"Hello!" A deep raspy voice broke through the statement of Morgana, as she raised her head to stare at the man who stood before her and Lilith.
As her gaze followed the tall, enigmatic figure, she couldn't help but ponder the unique features of this stranger.
Standing at an impressive height of 6'6", he towered over the crowd, his entirely black clothing adding an air of mystery.
What disturbed her most, however, were his striking golden eyes. The way they seemed to glow under the moonlight left her with a sense of
unease.
His hair was styled in a well-groomed black crew cut. What stood out, however, was the nose mask that covered the lower half of his face, its edges visibly resting against his ears.
This added a layer of mystery and caution to his appearance.
'Why the hell is he dressing in full black? He's definitely a freak.' Morgana thought to herself.
Lilith, on the other hand, found herself captivated by his appearance.
'He's incredibly handsome, almost like a model,' she mused, unable to ignore the magnetic pull she felt towards this stranger.
Before Morgana knew what Lilith was doing, she was stunned to watch as Lilith rose from her seat and she offered her hands towards the stranger for a handshake, hoping that she could feel the warmth of his palms.
The young man shakes his head sideways as he rejects Lilith's hands.
"I need a portrait." He uttered, his deep voice was hypnotic to the ears of Lilith.
As she withdrew her hands which had been hanging in the air, Lilith opened her phone and she immediately typed. "What portrait do you need?" She typed, and as she showed it to him, she arched her brows at him.
Beneath the nose mask, he smirked. "I need a portrait of you, Lilith." He uttered, his words creating butterflies to rejoice beneath Lilith's stomach.
'Gush! The way he had called my name was so sexy!' Lilith screamed within herself, her cheeks forming red as she blushed.
Morgana, who was observing the strange behavior of her friend, immediately stood up. "How the hell did you know the name of my friend, and what do you need her portrait for?" Morgana, who feels suspicious, questions the mysterious young man.
"I asked for a portrait store and the ladies over there directed me here." He spotted flatly, his statement still didn't give Morgana the reply that she wanted so she arched her brows more fiercely at him, as she grew more suspicious of him.
Lilith on the other hand grabbed her drawing brush. "I saw you earlier today." She typed showing it to the man whose face remained neutral upon reading the text.
"From your expression, it seems that you haven't forgotten my face. Besides, how can you forget a beautiful face like mine." Lilith typed and this time around, as she showed it to him, she winked at him.
Morgana grabbed Lilith's phone and as she read what Lilith had written, she immediately raised her head and smacked her friend's head. "What the hell are you doing?" She spat, fiercely staring at Lilith.
"I'd like to have a portrait done; would either of you be willing to create one for me, or should I be on my way?" the young man asked, his deep, resonant voice hushed as he fixed his gaze upon the two women before him.
"Leave!" Morgana spat, her voice laced with coldness.
Lilith swiftly turns towards Morgana as she aggressively grabs her phone. "Don't leave." Lilith swiftly typed, showing it to the handsome young stranger.
He nodded as he took his seat, even though he wasn't offered a seat.
"For what purpose do you require my portrait?" Lilith typed, breaking her silence as if snapping out of a daze.
Her question hung in the air, directed at the mysterious young man.
"I simply need it," he responded, his emotionless tone betraying no further information about his mysterious request.
Lilith smiled and Morgana frowned.
"How much are you going to offer?" Lilith typed, and before the young man could answer, Morgana began questioning him.
"Young man. You have to tell me the reason why you need my bestie picture unless I won't allow her to fall into your so-called temptati…"
"I'll offer five thousand dollars." He mumbled, ignoring the fact that he had cut Morgana off from completing her statement.
The sole reason why Morgana was being cautious was because her gut feeling was telling her to be careful.
"Huh? That's too much money." Lilith typed, showing it to the young man.
A smile played at the corners of his lips, hidden beneath his nose mask. "I'll offer you ten thousand dollars instead," he stated, pretending as if he didn't understand the previous text message of Lilith.
Morgana scuffed. "You have bad intentions, young man." She said and as she walked towards his front, she stood right before him, her hand wrapped around her stomach.
Morgana was staring at him intensely, and the young man stared back at her, not planning to back down that one might guess that they were both in a staring competition.
"We're not going to do any portrait for you, so I suggest you leave while I'm still being polite, you pervert," Morgana spat, her words dripping with icy contempt. Her fierce gaze bore into him, conveying the full extent of her disgust.
"Alright." He mumbled and as he rose from the chair, he began making his way out of Morgana's presence but then, Lilith suddenly did something that wasn't like her.
She did something that seemed as if she had been compelled… placed under a trance for she proceeded in kissing the young stranger.