As Zayden watched Zara sleep, her chest rising and falling with each gentle breath, he was torn between suffocating guilt and curiosity.
The soft moonlight danced across her innocent face, illuminating a serene expression that had once been filled with anguish and pain.
The room was filled with her light snores, a soothing balm to Zayden. He felt a huge burden lift off his shoulders as her face slowly relaxed, freeing him of the weight of his conscience.
"Why did I push her so far?" he thought, self-reproach etched on his face. "I knew she couldn't bear it, knew she was vulnerable." His gaze lingered on her peaceful form, regret and longing warring within him.
But despite the regret, he felt an inexplicable pull toward her, like an invisible thread binding them. It was unnatural, unsettling, and yet impossible to resist.
Zayden's thoughts swirled in confusion. He had controlled his powers for years, honed them to perfection. But with Zara, all control fled, leaving only primal desire.
Why did he lose control around her?
One thing didn't make sense to him. How was she able to pull out of his spell despite her burning desire? The purpose of the burn spell was to render humans weak while also punishing them for their wrongdoings.
But Zara hadn't committed any crime—maybe that was the reason, he thought.
He stared at her, his gaze filled with regret and longing. Zara muttered something he couldn't hear. He leaned in, straining to catch her words, and on the second attempt, he caught the whispered word: "K...kai," spoken with a shaky, longing voice.
Her brows furrowed, the lines deepening, as if she were...regretful.
Zayden's brow furrowed as well, memories stirring like embers. Where had he heard that name before? Its familiarity unsettled him, hinting at hidden dangers.
His thoughts drifted to a more secluded place, seeking answers.
With a thoughtful gesture, he placed his freed hand on his chin. The shadows of his past seemed to stir, whispering secrets he'd rather keep buried.
A knock disrupted his thoughts, and his eyes immediately clouded with darkness as his gaze shifted to Zara, who seemed to be disturbed by the gentle sound.
Instead of replying, he gently removed Zara's hand, which had loosened its grip on his clothes.
He placed the white bedsheets over her body in a protective manner.
Then, he opened the door to see Ryan standing before him with a document in his hand.
He closed the door behind him and turned to face Ryan again.
"What is it?" he asked coldly, with furrowed brows.
"I have some information on Zane and her family," Ryan said stiffly, his gaze meeting Zayden's furrowed brows.
Zayden collected the document, which was in a file, from Ryan's outstretched hands.
"You may leave," Zayden said, his gaze drifting off to the document in his hands.
Ryan bowed slightly before leaving his boss.
Zayden opened the door again to see Zara still deep asleep. Not wanting to disturb her, he closed the door quietly and went to his study room, a place that brought him tranquillity.
He pushed the big black door open, revealing a space filled with a variety of books—a majestic library.
He walked inside, his footsteps confident.
As he stepped in, a wave of nostalgia filled his memory. It was a familiar recurrence of the past.
He stared at the tall columns of books, and an image formed in his mind.
He saw a lady in ancient attire: a red top and a white ballgown skirt. Her hair was tied up with a red ribbon, signifying she was married.
Her gaze was on the book she was reading. She wore a huge smile, as if the book allowed her to forget all the worries life had for her.
He couldn't see her face fully, but her side profile reminded him of their life together, the love they had shared, and the fate that had separated them.
"You're back," she said raising her head, her beautiful smile widening as she saw him, her warmth reminding him of the sweet melody and comfort her voice used to bring.
He smiled when he saw her face, her eyes gleaming with happiness.
His smile soon faded as he remembered that he once loved that smile, but now it felt like a curse. He regretted every moment since deciding to kill her. The thought of that incident still haunted him.
With a blink, the image vanished like a fleeting dream at dawn's awakening.
His hand twitched, his eyes showing pain as the ghostly apparition dissolved into thin air.
He took a difficult step, trying not to think of the person he once loved and always would.
Rows upon rows of shelves stretched toward the vaulted ceiling, their wooden surfaces gleaming with a warm, honey-colored patina, the leather-bound spines creaking under the weight of knowledge.
The air was filled with the musty scent of aged paper and the faint tang of ink. The weight of his past pressed down on him.
Sunlight filtered through the glass windows, casting patterns on the floor, illuminating dusty corners and hidden nooks.
He kept wandering deeper into the library until he reached his own space.
His hands traced the table, which creaked until he reached the chair.
Without wasting much time and trying to push thoughts of the woman he'd seen from his mind, he opened the document he had received from Ryan.
The first picture he saw was of Zane's father. Personal details were included, like his age—55 years. Occupation—once a spy, now the owner of the largest boutique shop. Other details, unimportant to Zayden, were also listed. He ended up skipping to Zane's profile.
Age: 24 years
Occupation: Actress (famous for her excellent acting)
Family situation: Least loved compared to her little sister.
Allergies: Berries
There's nothing quite interesting about her, he thought..
He was about to close the document when he noticed there was an extra page that shouldn't have been there.
There were supposed to be four pages, so why were there five?
With curiosity, he opened the last page to see a baby picture. He couldn't see the full face since part of it was torn. But the word "missing" shocked him to the core.
A rush of adrenaline coursed through his veins as he furrowed his brows deeply.
The Sawyer family had a missing child?