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I’m suddenly a puppet strung along with the power of desire.
“I need to see.”
I reach the gazebo, never once breaking my gaze away from her. My approach is soundless, the stillness of the night a cloak for my intentions. Every instinct screams that this meeting is foreordained.
Then, her hand pauses. The interruption of her melodic art jars her. A sense of being watched skitters down her spine, recognizing an intrusion into the sanctuary of her focus and solitude.
She feels my presence, I think to myself.
I control my breathing, knowing it’s the one signal that’ll make her turn to me. My eyes are manic, without a doubt glowing in the dark of the night. A show of possession from the beast within me.
My steps are light and calculated. I want to hide from her a little more, but I also want her to be aware of me. Have fear instilled in her while also being curious of this taboo existence of mine.
I whisper a small incantation. “I’m here.”
I’m in the gazebo. I loom over her, creating a shadow over her breathtaking work. I hear a small gasp come from her.
She turns around, startled. The veil obscures her from view, yet the sudden connection that ignites between us is as clear as the stars in the night sky. If heavens existed, then being close to her is the nearest I'll ever come to reaching them.
I stand before her, feeling the world tilt. An axis shifts as her attention lands on me. Her veil remains, the only barrier separating us at this moment that’s been written since the birth of time.
The moment lingers. A breath. A heartbeat. Time is suspended as the universe weaves a new thread into the tapestry of our lives.
I, always the master of my emotions, find myself uncharacteristically breathless. The urge to unveil her, to claim this connection, strikes me in a primal instinct that rushes through my veins.
What is this feeling?
5
SHANA
There’s a tumultuous vibration in the air. My inspiration’s cut short. All the focus poured into the painting is blasphemously interrupted.
Someone’s here, I think to myself, trying to contain my nerves.
It’s not a faithful follower. The energy’s completely different. Whoever it is didn’t come here in peace. And I happen to be alone in the gazebo tonight.
My brush hovers mid-air, shaking. My tranquil world’s interrupted by the dark elf’s unexpected presence. The darkness of their aura stagnates the air like a poisonous flower. A shiver runs down my spine, feeling the intense stare of the intruder on me.
What do they want? Why are they here at this hour?
I don’t have the power to send him away. Anyone is welcome at the temple, as long as Her Majesty sees it fit. Still, it doesn’t stop me from being nervous about this dubious presence.
His steps are drawn out, taking his time to get closer to me. I’m not sure why, but he’s hiding himself for a reason. That isuntil there’s a whisper in my ears. A warning of sorts that makes my heart drop to my stomach.
“I’m here.”
Then, my canvas is soon enveloped in darkness. The silhouette of his shadow draws over the gazebo and onto the water. A powerful presence that doesn’t want to be ignored.
I gasp under my breath. There’s no escape for me unless I jump in the water. But I cannot interrupt the natural flow of these sacred waters. Her Majesty will be alerted, and I don’t wish to bother her with something of unimportance.
I turn around, my eyes wide and vulnerable beneath the veil. The intrusion of privacy sends a shock to my senses. An instinctual awareness fills me, saying that something pivotal is unfolding.
I come face to face with two distinct colors when I look at his eyes. Blue as the water that holds the moon and green as the lush forests of Shozuh. Although my veil works as a shield, his eyes glow right through it, and they’re the only thing I can see.
Another soft gasp escapes my lips, betraying my surprise. I take a defensive step back, clutching the brush like a lifeline. I swallow hard, and my beating heart echoes in my head.
His voice, smooth and confident, cuts through the silence.
