The path twisted through the dark forest, covered in mist that clung to the trees like phantom palms. Emilia tightened her grasp on the steering wheel, her heart beating with a mix of excitement and fear. Raven's Cove was supposed to be a fresh start, but something about the silence emanating from the woods felt... wrong. The air itself appeared heavy and charged, as if the metropolis was holding its breath and getting ready.
While the faint signal for Raven's Cove eventually showed, Emilia exhaled a breath she had no idea she was holding. The coastal village sprawled out before her, lovely but eerily so. Slender streets wound past old dwellings, their shutters drawn tightly as if to conceal secrets. The ocean raged in the distance, forming a restless chorus against the craggy cliffs.
Emilia pulled into the driveway of the cottage she had leased without seeing it first. It was fascinating enough—ivy curling over stone walls, a creaky gate that slid open with a weary groan—but it also seemed... watched. Shaking off her discomfort, she stepped outside, the crisp evening air prickling her pores and skin. This became her danger to leave the beyond behind: a new city, a fresh new way of life, and a library that promised limitless discoveries.
But as Emilia unloaded her baggage, she couldn't shake the feeling that she wasn't alone. Shadows gathered in corners, darker than they should be, and the tiniest sound—like whispers—appeared to rise and fall with the wind. She told herself it was just the anxiety of moving to a foreign place, but the sensation persisted.
The Raven's Cove Library became a maze of towering shelves and shadowy alcoves, with the aroma of old paper hanging in the air like a spell. Emilia's first day went in a haze of cataloguing, her fingers brushing over leather-bound tomes that seemed to vibrate with untold tales. It turned out to be all she had hoped for. Nonetheless, the discomfort from the night before persisted, coiling tighter with each passing hour.
It wasn't until she got into the limited data that the atmosphere changed completely. The room was filled with an artificial and biting relaxation. Dirt motes float in the dim light, but the shadows appear to ripple. Emilia paused, her hand soaring over an unidentified e-book. She didn't recall hearing the door open, but the faint creak of footfall made her heart flutter.
"You shouldn't be here."
The voice deepened and growled, sending a bolt of worry and something else—something electric—through her. Emilia turned swiftly to see a man leaning against the doorframe. His penetrating silver eyes remained fixed on hers, and his authoritative and deadly presence filled the space.
He grew taller, his enormous figure wrapped in a black coat that appeared to absorb up the light. A scar ran over his jaw, incorporating the harsh strains on his face. However, it was the way he looked at her, like if he could see right through her, that rooted Emilia to the place.
"I—I'm the brand new librarian," she said calmly, her voice stronger than she felt. "who are you?"
The person did not respond right now. His glance went over her, analyzing, before he pushed off the doorframe and approached. Too near.
"Luca Blackwood." The name bore weight, like if it should mean something to her. "and you're already breaking regulations."
"I didn't realize this segment was off limits," Emilia said, her chin raising despite the unpleasant flutter in her chest. "i used to be just—"
"Interest receives people killed around here," he said in a bloodless tone. "live out of what doesn't subject you."
His words had been a warning, but there was something else in his tone, a flare of anxiety that felt private. Emilia bristled, her first concern giving way to fury.
"I'm here to do my job, not to take orders from you," she shot back, hating the words as soon as they left her lips. Luca's eyes narrowed, and for a minute, the air between them seemed to vibrate with an invisible fee.
"Do your task, then," he murmured quietly and dangerously. "however don't forget what I stated."
Without another remark, he turned and went away, his steps silent despite the ancient timber ground. Emilia breathed shakily as her heart raced. Who became he? And why did it feel like he had just created a line that she couldn't see but instinctively knew she shouldn't cross?
That night, sleep eluded her. Images of Luca's keen gaze and the unusual weight of his caution ran on repeat in her mind. She lay in bed, staring at the ceiling as the wind howled outside, carrying with it a deep, sorrowful sound that set her tooth on fire.
By the time dawn arrived, Emilia had decided she needed answers. If Raven's Cove had any secrets, she would reveal them. Her uneasiness clashed with her interest, but the latter prevailed. She wasn't the type to back down, even when the odds were stacked against her.
Her solution was tested the next night as she found herself going down the cliffside path, the waves breaking far below. The setting sun filled the horizon with flaming hues, spreading lengthy shadows across the rocky terrain. Emilia had no holiday destination in mind; instead, she needed to cleanse her mind.
Then she spotted him. Luca stood at the edge of the cliffs, silhouetted against the loss of life light. His cloak billowed in the wind, and for a brief moment, he appeared less like a human and more like a sentinel, guarding something unknown.
Emilia hesitated, her intuition compelling her to return. But something pulled her forward. She did not address him by name, but he became aware of her presence. His countenance deepened as their eyes met.
"You shouldn't be right here," he said again, this time without fury. A quiet resignation unsettled her even more.
"Neither do you," she responded, surprising herself. "What are you hiding?"
Luca's jaw tightened, and for a second, she assumed he wouldn't respond. However, he stepped closer, his actions deliberate, his eyes unwavering.
"You have no idea what you've walked into," he said, his voice low and stern. "The metropolis and cliffs are not as they seem." "And neither are you."
The words hit her like a body blow. "What does that mean?"
Luca's gaze softened for a moment, and she or he saw something underneath his guarded façade. regret? worry? He took a step back, his face hardening once again, before she could figure it out.
"Live far away from me, Emilia," he said. "on your personal right."
Then he turned and disappeared into the shadows, leaving her alone on the rocks. The wind whipped about her, carrying a tiny whisper that may be attributed to her creativity. Or something else entirely.
As she stood there, her heart beating, Emilia recognized two things. She'd underestimated Raven's Cove. And Luca Blackwood—whatever he was hiding—had just turned out to be the key to uncovering the facts.
She understood that the truth might come at a cost.
A wolf's cry pierced the darkness, keen and so
rrowful. It rang throughout the city, lingering as a warning. Or a pledge.