As Juan and Stephan stood in the eerie valley, surrounded by the towering walls, the atmosphere shifted. The dense forest around them thickened, its ancient trees seeming to grow closer. Juan's wings twitched uncomfortably as she glanced around, feeling the weight of the magic that had settled over them. The trees weren't just tall—they were alive with a strange, pulsating energy that Juan could feel under her skin.
Stephan, leaning lazily against one of the twisted trunks, smirked as he caught her discomfort. "Nervous, little angel?" he drawled, his tone mocking. "Scared of a few magic trees?"
"I'm not scared," Juan snapped, though the tightness in her voice betrayed her. She turned away from him, trying to find an opening between the thickening trunks, but the trees seemed to move as if they were alive, closing them in.
Suddenly, the landscape around them shifted. The air shimmered, and before Juan's eyes, the gloomy forest transformed. Beautiful, glowing fruits hung from the branches, and vibrant birds with iridescent feathers flitted through the air, singing sweetly. Flowers bloomed in every color, their petals sparkling like gems, and tiny, glowing flies buzzed around them, their light casting an enchanting glow on everything they touched.
For a moment, Juan was mesmerized. "It's… it's beautiful," she whispered, stepping forward, her fingers reaching out toward one of the radiant fruits.
But just as her hand was about to touch it, Stephan's voice cut through the illusion, sharp and mocking. "Don't be so naive, Juan. It's all a lie." His laughter echoed in the small clearing as she snatched her hand back. "You angels fall for the simplest tricks, don't you?"
Her heart sank as the truth settled in. The fruits, the birds, the flowers—they were nothing more than hallucinations, tricks of the mind. She clenched her fists, turning back to Stephan with a glare. "Why are you doing this?" she demanded, her voice trembling with frustration. "What do you want from me?"
Stephan's eyes glinted with amusement. "What do I want? To watch you struggle, of course. It's much more fun when you think you can escape," he said, his voice laced with cruelty.
Juan's wings fluttered, her emotions raw. She was trapped with him, stuck in this nightmarish place. "You're insufferable!" she shouted, her voice cracking under the weight of her frustration. Tears of anger pricked at the corners of her eyes, but she blinked them away, refusing to let him see her cry.
Stephan stepped closer, his dark wings unfurling as he towered over her. "Oh, come now, little angel. Don't be so dramatic. We're just getting started," he said, his voice low and teasing.
Juan tried to back away, but the magic of the trees seemed to close in around her, leaving her with no escape. "Leave me alone!" she cried, her wings brushing against the thick bark of the trees behind her.
Stephan chuckled, but before he could say another word, Juan stumbled over a root, her balance faltering. She fell forward, colliding with Stephan's chest, her hands splayed against his black tunic. Time seemed to freeze as her body made contact with his, and a searing pain shot through her, starting from her hand where it touched his skin.
She gasped, pulling away in horror as a bright red mark appeared on her wrist, spreading like fire. It burned with the unmistakable mark of dark magic—Stephan's magic. "What… what is this?" she whispered, her eyes wide with terror as she stared at the glowing red imprint.
Stephan's grin widened, a dark, wicked amusement flashing in his eyes. "Ah, the mark of a devil. It seems you've touched something far more dangerous than you thought, little angel."
Juan's heart pounded in her chest as she rubbed at the mark, but it wouldn't fade. The pain dulled to a throbbing ache, but the mark remained—a cruel reminder of what she had touched. "You did this!" she accused, her voice shaking. "You've cursed me!"
"Think of it as a gift," Stephan said with a smirk. "A little something to remember me by."
Her stomach twisted in fear and anger, the mark on her wrist a burning reminder of the danger she was in. "I don't want anything from you," she spat, backing away from him.
"Too late for that," Stephan replied smoothly, his wings stretching out behind him as he lazily leaned against a tree. "You've been marked, Juan. Whether you like it or not, you'll always carry a piece of me with you."
Juan clenched her fists, tears of frustration threatening to spill. She couldn't let him win, couldn't let him see how deeply he had unsettled her. But with every passing moment, the weight of the situation pressed heavier on her chest.
Stephan's taunting laughter echoed around them as the hallucinations continued to swirl, the beauty of the enchanted forest twisting into a cruel mockery of reality.