Chapter 114: The Dream of Ashes
Eve shivered under the touch of his hot fingers that increased its pace and felt her mind soon to be blown to oblivion with something intense building up between her legs. Soon her muscles began contracting, and a flicker of panic crossed her face. She clutched his bare shoulders, digging her fingers into his skin, something Ivan didn’t mind at all.
"I-Ivan!" she gasped, unable to comprehend what was happening to her.
Ivan moved his other hand over her breast, cupping it in a gentle squeeze, earning him another breathy moan, "Oh!"
He leaned close to her ear, whispered hotly in a low command, "Let go... my Eve."
The sheer sight of her trembling beneath him made his blood surge, and his fangs elongated on their own. With a low growl, he buried his face in her neck. "Cum for me..baby," he rasped in need, before sinking his fangs deep into her delicious flesh.
The instant he bit her, his hand squeezed her breast and quickened the pace of his fingers between her legs. Until Eve’s body tightened and taut like a drawn bowstring before the wave crashed, and her entire body hummed with mindblowing pleasure she had never known.
"Oh Gods!" she cried, the sound breaking from her lips, and she felt like she had died only to ascend into the heavens, hearing angels sing as ecstasy consumed her. Her eyes flared golden as the burst of pleasure rippled through every inch of her body.
Ivan raised his head, licking the traces of her blood from his lips as his crimson gaze lingered on Eve, watching her unravel in the throes of her very first orgasm. Her eyes had turned golden, holding him captive even as his fingers continued their relentless rhythm, prolonging the waves of ecstasy that shook her body.
When he felt her relax little by little, he finally stopped. With deliberate care, he withdrew his fingers and discreetly wiped them beneath her gown before shifting beside her. Without hesitation, he pulled her against his solid chest and wrapped her tightly in his embrace as he waited for her to calm down from the aftermath of an intense ordeal.
One hand rubbed her back in soothing circles, while the other was weaving his fingers into her silken hair. His lips planted a lingering kiss on her forehead as he whispered, "You did good."
Eve closed her eyes, her breathing slowly steadying as she came down from the dizzying high. Every gentle stroke of his hand, every kiss, every murmur from Ivan grounded her, allowing her to simply bask in his warmth and the safety of his embrace.
After lying like that for a couple of minutes, she opened her clear blue eyes only to find his molten red gaze still fixed on her, watching her as if she were the center of his universe. Suddenly feeling shy, colour rose to her cheeks, and she quickly hid her face in the crook of his neck.
Not wanting her to feel overwhelmed, he let her hide, his lips curved into a faint smile as he adjusted the blanket over both of them. He then circled his arms back around her with quiet possessiveness, drawing her closer while listening to her singing heart that was much calmer than before.
Glancing at the clock, he noticed it was nearly midnight. In a low, gentle voice, he said, "It’s almost midnight; you should get some sleep, as we have classes tomorrow."
"Yes," she replied softly, her voice muffled against his skin.
After a few seconds, she looked at him, "You...are sleeping here?"
He arched an elegant brow and asked, "Do you want me to leave?"
She immediately shook her head, "No!" Realising her voice came out louder than she intended, she quickly softened it, "Stay..."
"I wasn’t planning on leaving anyway," He smirked as he leaned down to press a kiss on her lips before pulling her face back into the crook of his neck. "Sleep, baby," he whispered.
Eve felt a giddy warmth bloom in her chest. Smiling softly against his skin, she planted a soft kiss on his neck, then wrapped her arm around his naked waist before finally closing her eyes.
A smile formed on Ivan’s lips at her little actions. He thought she was finally becoming more comfortable expressing herself with him, and he was glad for it. With a contented feeling, he closed his eyes, and before he realised it, he had drifted into dreamland along with her.
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[Music recommendation - Rore senja ]
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Somewhere in a realm of dreams, black clouds loomed over a burning city, flames danced like raging inferno through the streets, staining the dark sky with the hues of red and orange, while thick smoke climbed upwards before getting swallowed up in the sky.
The air reeked of charred flesh, as shadowy figures stormed the city like a plague, their swords dripping with crimson, maiming down anyone in their path. Children shrieked, men roared in anguish, women cried for mercy...but none was given.
Gut-retching screams were heard across the land. From the corner of her eyes, she spotted a mother clutching her newborn child, stumbling across the blood-soaked cobblestones in order to get away from the chaos. Before she could flee, she was ruthlessly slain by a slimy black beast that looked like it had blade-like tentacles that didn’t resemble any creature Eve had ever seen before.
Eve’s shocked eyes remained locked onto the creature before she saw him sniff the hair and then turned its crooked face towards a small child, who was hiding behind the broken roof of a house, trying to save himself.
Eve wanted to rush there and save the child, but she couldn’t move or scream, like she were only a spectator watching the horror unfolding in front of her eyes. As the creature shrieked and raised its blade like tentacles to slay the child, her heart lurched at the sight, and she prayed desperately to put an end to this maddening chaos.
Before the tentacles could pierce the child, suddenly a man bathing in blinding orange light descended from the sky, landing with a deafening impact that shook the ground beneath her feet. Flames roared around him, and with a single commanding gesture of his hand, the creature erupted into ashes, scattering in the wind like charred petals.
Eve could only see the back of the man that glowed with an otherworldly aura, the v-shape of his shoulder-length raven black hair danced in the wind. Though she could only see his back, she felt a strange familiarity surge through her chest. She knew his name, the pull was so strong, and as if sensing her with ashes and embers flying everywhere, he was about to turn towards her. Just then, another creature screeched and was about to attack him. Without thinking, her hand shot out to reach him, and she screamed, "Nooo!!!"
Evelyn’s eyes snapped open, her body jerked upright as if the nightmare had left an imprint on her very bones. She gasped, heart hammering while her eyes frantically looked around the dark to see if she was still surrounded by that horrific chaos. Cold sweat broke from her skin as she still reeled from a very vivid scene that she was having a hard time snapping out of.
Then she felt herself being enveloped in a warm embrace by firm arms surrounding her from behind and heard a soothing, gentle voice, "Eve...it was just a nightmare. You’re safe, I’m here."
She turned around to meet his molten red eyes and clung to his neck so hard as if her very existence depended on it. She buried her face in his neck, afraid the darkness would return if she let go.
"Just breathe, baby...you’re safe." His hands moved slowly behind her back, while his lips pressed soft, comforting kisses into her hair. She hadn’t realized she was trembling...hadn’t noticed the tears streaming down her face, until he pulled back just enough to wipe her tears, his eyes held raw concern at the level of her distress.
"Eve...you’re safe," His voice was an anchor against the storm raging in her chest. He pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead, then pulled her back into his warm embrace as she continued to sob.
It was still early dawn, and the sky outside was dim, as the sun was yet to rise, but Ivan was fully awake and alert. He leaned against the headboard, pulling her along with him so that she was lying on top of him, sobbing into his chest while he continued to gently caress her.
He had been in a deep sleep when her scream jolted him awake. Her eyes were shining golden, and it alarmed him when he heard her galloping heart rate, ragged breathing, and noticed her trembling with tears streaking down her face uncontrollably.
No ordinary nightmare could have provoked such a reaction. ’Just what in the world had she seen?!’
When some time passed, Eve began to calm down, though she still clung to him as if her very life depended on it.
He continued to stroke her hair and decided to break the silence, "Evelyn?... Are you feeling better now?"
She gave him a small nod. When she remained silent, he probed gently, testing the waters, "Do you...want to tell me what you saw?"
She took a shaky breath and lifted her tear-streaked face, her eyes red and swollen from the amount she had cried. His brows furrowed with concern as he cupped her face in his hands, gently wiping away the remnants of tears. He then leaned down and pressed a soft, lingering kiss on her lips.
"You know you can tell me anything, right?" he whispered, his voice full of reassurance.
Eve, however, continued to stare at Ivan. Suddenly, the man’s side profile from her chaotic dream flashed in her mind. She couldn’t see his face, only remembered the burning orange aura that surrounded him. The longer she gazed into Ivan’s eyes, the more she saw the same fire swirling within them. Wordlessly, she reached out with her slightly shaky hands and touched his cheek, thinking, ’Could it be...?’
As she continued to caress his cheek, she whispered, "It couldn’t be..."
Ivan was utterly confused by her actions. He didn’t understand what was going on with her, so he placed his hand on top of hers, "Eve? What’s wrong? Talk to me," his molten-red eyes silently demanding answers.
"Did you know...I can see the fire swirling in your eyes. That was the first thing I noticed when I bumped into you in the corridors of this academy. Have they always swirled in there like this?" Eve asked softly.
Ivan’s eyes widened in surprise. No one had ever mentioned that before...only he had ever seen them that way. ’Then how did she...?’ He tilted his head slightly, his gaze sharp yet curious, as he asked in a low voice, "No one has ever been able to see that...how did you?"
