There was an unsettling quiet in the midnight air as Nobu got out of his car and walked up to the clock tower. The only sound permeating the darkness was the gentle ticking of the clock's gears. As he looked up at the tower's massive structure, he experienced a wave of anxiety. The opulent structure now served as a reminder of the city's lost past. The wall is covered in moss and ivy.
Upon entering the tower, he was welcomed by a dimly lighted chamber featuring candelabras coated in cobwebs that created flickering shadows on the walls. Dust and the stench of decay hung heavy in the air. Nobu's eyes adjusted to the gloom, revealing a silhouette lurking in the shadows.
The figure loomed large and emaciated, his pale face and sunken eyes showing through the darkness. Nobu felt his gravelly deep voice send thrills down his spine.
The man commented,
"Ah, you're the one who's been asking questions about Ramia,"
his eyes glimmering with a strange intensity.
"I can tell you things, but be warned: once you know there's no going back."
Nobu took a step closer and felt his heart quicken. His voice was hardly audible above a whisper when he questioned, "What do you know about Ramia?"
With a menacing smirk, the man's lips quivered.
"I am aware that she is not who she says she is. Furthermore, I am aware of the falsehoods and secrets surrounding her past."
Nobu leaned closer, his head buzzing with possibilities, his hands tightening on his phone.
"What are the secrets? "What falsehoods?" he asked.
With a dry, mirthless laugh, the man laughed.
"Yes, but that would reveal too much. To find out more, you'll need to make a payment."
Nobu felt that something wasn't quite right, and his eyes narrowed. Carefully, "What kind of price?" he enquired.
The man grinned more broadly.
"Oh, just a little assistance. Something that is going to permanently alter your life."
Uncertain about his willingness to accept the risk, Nobu paused. However, his increasing fixation on Ramia's secrets held him stationary.
With a hint of nervousness in his voice, he finally enquired,
"What do you want me to do?"
There was an unnerving intensity to the man's gleaming eyes.
"I want Ramia to develop feelings for you. You have to marry her after that. However, you must first ensure that she will file for divorce from her spouse and that she won't re-enter his life.
Nobu took in the man's words, and his eyes grew wide with shock. With his voice hardly audible above a whisper, he said,
"Make her fall for me?"
"You want me to manipulate her into marrying me?"
The man's eyes glinted with a disturbing intensity as his smile widened.
"Not precisely coerced. Simply convince her. Make her believe that you are the one she is supposed to be with."
Uneasy, Nobu felt his gut churn. What he was being asked to do was beyond shocking. With a calm voice, he questioned,
"And what's in it for you?"
For a split second, the man's smile wavered, and Nobu sensed something sinister lying behind the surface. With a tone full of hate, he said,
"Let's just say that I have a... vested interest in Ramia's happiness."
"And I'm willing to do whatever it takes to ensure that she's with the right person."
Realising he was dealing with someone who would stop at nothing to achieve their goals, Nobu felt a chill go down his spine.
He felt a twinge of remorse as he thought of Ramia, her mysterious smile and enticing eyes. While his curiosity and quest for the truth had already taken him in this direction, he didn't want to be a pawn in someone else's game.
With a reluctant tone, he finally replied,
"What do you want me to do first?"
The man nodded, joy shining in his eyes.
"I want you to get acquainted with Ramia first. Give her confidence that she can rely on you. You'll next need to persuade her that you're the one she was supposed to be with after you've established that trust."
As Nobu took in the man's remarks, his heart began to race. He was aware that he was being asked to take a wrong turn, one that may hurt Ramia and end her marriage. But at the same time, he couldn't get rid of the notion that something more than simple trickery and manipulation was going on.
Finally, with a tone full of anxiety, he questioned,
"What if she doesn't fall for me?"
The man's eyes glinted with a disturbing intensity as his smile widened even more.
"Oh, I'm sure she will," he remarked with a confident tone.
"You just need to be... convincing."
When Nobu realised he was being urged to employ every trick in the book to win Ramia over, he felt a cold sweat form on his brow. He considered all the ways he might take advantage of her, all the ways he could use his attractiveness and charm to win her over. And while he was doing this, he began to feel uneasy and dreadful, telling him that something was going to go wrong.
Nobu couldn't get rid of the uneasy sensation in his gut as he exited the clock tower. He had the impression that he was being drawn into a sinister game that he didn't want to play. However, he couldn't resist the allure of the task and the surge of adrenaline that came with the potential for success. He couldn't help but think of all the ways he could take advantage of her and use his attractiveness and charm to make her fall in love with him as he made his way back to his car. He considered how he could use words to make her feel as though she were falling in love, how he could make her feel like the only person in the world.
However, he couldn't get rid of the uneasy feeling as he climbed into his car and turned on the engine. He was aware that he was being asked to take a wrong turn, one that may hurt Ramia and end her marriage. He couldn't help but wonder who would ask him to do anything like this as he drove away from the clock tower.
He was thinking about Ramia's spouse, the man who was meant to be her companion, her rock, and her best friend all the while he was driving. He pondered the extent to which she needed to trust and love him. And he had a twinge of humiliation and remorse as he did it.
He was aware that he was being urged to perform an improper action that would cause harm to another person. And he realised he had to make a decision as he drove past the clock tower. He could keep going in this direction, which would bring him to ruin and devastation. Alternatively he may go back and abandon this entire situation.
But he knew he had already made up his mind as he drove by the clock tower. No matter the cost, he was willing to go to any lengths to win Ramia's heart.
And he couldn't help but wonder what type of guy he had become as he drove off into the night.
"To be continued
Stay tuned"