Chapter 147: Through The Barrier
She had been feeling homesick lately, and the journey reminded her of the time she first travelled to Blood Moon Academy, leaving home just like everyone else, until her education was complete.
A slight shuffle from one of the beds caught her attention. She looked over at the girl sharing her room. The candlelight fell across her face, highlighting a frown as she asked, "Lora, why aren’t you asleep yet?"
"Oh...I was just getting some fresh air. I was planning to sleep in a few minutes," Lora replied.
"Alright, make sure to lock the windows. Just the thought of us being out here gives me the chills," her roommate said.
"I know what you mean," Lora murmured, turning her head to look outside the window, shrouded in darkness by the thick vegetation surrounding them.
As she gazed outside for a moment longer, she noticed a slight movement in one of the trees. It was so minuscule that she wondered if she was imagining it. Being human, her vision wasn’t as sharp as that of vampires or even lumens. Swallowing her nervousness, she quickly climbed down from the windowsill she had perched on and moved to close the window when her mother’s locket, clasped in her hand, got caught in the latch. Her grip loosened, and it slipped from her fingers, falling.
"No!" she whispered, reaching for it, but it had already fallen two floors down, landing somewhere in the bushes surrounding the inn.
She cursed her luck and carelessness, standing frozen as she stared at the bushes for a long moment.
She let out a tired sigh before turning to look at her roommate, who now seemed to be fast asleep. Not wanting to disturb her, she paced around the room, thinking about what to do. She knew that stepping out of the premises after being repeatedly warned would be like walking into the jaws of a beast, but on the other hand, it was her mother’s locket, something she treasured deeply.
She bit her lip nervously at the thought of leaving her mom’s memento in the bushes, then looked out again, only to see absolute stillness. Thinking that no one was there, she decided she could brave herself and quickly run to grab her locket and return in no time.
She picked up a candle stand from nearby and padded across the room, careful not to disturb her friend, who was fast asleep by now.
She had almost turned back after seeing how spooky the dimly lit corridor looked, but thinking about retrieving her mother’s locket, she took a deep breath and walked quietly all the way to the staircase before descending.
The reception area was empty, with only a couple of lamps lit in the stillness of the night. She paused before the entrance door, then opened it and rushed out as if her heels were on fire. Calculating where her room window was, her brown eyes squinted in the dark, trying to find the spot where her locket might have fallen. Her heartbeat quickened with anxiety at the thought of being outside at this hour. She could hear only the sound of crickets and the hooting of an owl nearby. When she brought her candle to the expected spot, she looked around frantically for her locket...but there was nothing.
Clink.
The sound of a chain rattled behind her.
She froze.
Her breath caught in her throat, a shiver crawling down her spine. The air thickened, heavy with something unseen and slowly, she turned her head.
A tall, shadowy figure stood a few paces away, cloaked in darkness. Its skin was a grotesque grey with black veins that seemed to pulse faintly. In its clawed hand hung her mother’s locket, glinting weakly in the moonlight.
Lora’s lips parted in a silent scream, but before she could utter a sound, the creature raised its other hand. A dark stone pulsed between its fingers, and a torrent of black smoke erupted from it, slithering across the ground like serpents before coiling up and forcing their way into her mouth and nose.
Her body convulsed violently. The candle fell and went out.
When the smoke cleared, she lay motionless, eyes open and pitch black. Blood trickled from her nose. The veins under her skin shimmered darkly before fading.
The figure crouched beside her and whispered, its voice like the scrape of metal on bone, "Riseee."
Lora stood up at once, her movement as stiff as her robot.
"Bring the Lumen Princess to me," he said in a sinister whisper.
Lora spoke in a monotonous tone, "Yes, Master."
She bowed and started walking back with an unhurried step towards the entrance.
...
Sometime before this incident, inside Ivan and Evelyn’s room, soft candle lights spilled from the lamps burning on the bedside table. Eve had just stepped out after her bath.
She gently rubbed the towel over her wet hair, her blue eyes zeroing in on Ivan, who was leisurely lying on the bed with his shirt partly unbuttoned, one hand resting behind his head and the other holding a small book in his hands as he read through the content.
Hearing her step closer, his molten red eyes lifted to admire her flushed skin, which looked even paler beneath the soft glow, and her damp hair appeared darker than usual. Her fresh scent hit his nostrils, pulling his attention completely away from the book to her.
"The bathroom is free if you want to use it," she said in her soft, alluring voice.
She resumed drying her hair, but when he didn’t respond, she paused and called him,
"Ivan?"
"I didn’t hear you," he said flatly.
Her beautifully arched brows furrowed as she looked at him. Pausing her movements, she stepped closer to the bed, "I said, I’m done with the bathroom, you can-"
She let out a soft yelp as Ivan suddenly pulled her towards him, making her fall on top of him. Her warm breath mingled with his, and her wet hair fell over them like a silken curtain. He wrapped his arms around her back, holding her in place so she couldn’t escape.
Her cheeks burned crimson. "What do you think you’re doing?" she demanded, narrowing her eyes at him.
His lips curved into a faint smirk, "What do you think I’m doing?"
"I don’t know, maybe back to being your shameless self," she huffed as she tried to free herself from his grip.
He squeezed her waist slightly, just enough to make her squeak, "Ivan!"
His hand slid from her waist up to her neck, curling gently around her nape. Pulling her closer, he inhaled her maddening, unique scent and hummed in appreciation.
Eve shivered in his arms, her strength melting beneath his searing touch. Yet, clinging to the last thread of her composure, she leaned in until her lips nearly brushed his and whispered in a sultry tone, "Why don’t you have a bath...and then maybe we can continue?"
Ivan’s eyes darkened with desire as he whispered back, "So... you’ll let me continue?"
She bit her lower lip and gave him a slow nod, though the mischief sparkling in her eyes made him narrow his.
He lifted his hand to her face, cupping her chin before brushing his thumb lightly over her lips. "You naughty little princess," he murmured in that velvety, husky tone that made her heart skip a beat. "You’re really getting good at using your charm on me, aren’t you?"
He brought his lips close to hers, about to capture them, when both of them froze, struck by a sudden wave of alertness. It lasted only half a second before fading completely. They stared at each other in silence until Eve finally asked, "Did you feel that?"
Ivan’s brows furrowed slightly. "Yes," he replied, releasing her from his hold.
Eve quickly scrambled off him and stood up, followed by Ivan. Together, they walked to the window and peered into the darkness, searching for the source of that strange sensation. Ivan’s sharp eyes glowed a bright red as he scanned the expanse of the forest, looking for any shadowy figure that might be lurking among the trees.
They stood by the window for some time, and when they couldn’t find anything out of the ordinary, Eve turned to Ivan. "I don’t sense anything anymore."
"Neither do I," Ivan murmured, narrowing his eyes for a moment before meeting Eve’s worried gaze. He cupped her face gently, listening to her racing heartbeat. "Don’t worry, baby. I’m right here with you, alright?"
She wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face in his bare chest as she took a deep breath to calm her jittery nerves.
Ivan silently comforted her, his hands moving soothingly along her back before he pressed a soft kiss to her hair.
After a quiet moment, she pulled back slightly, and he brushed his thumb over her cheek. "You’re okay now?" he asked softly.
"Mhm... I’m alright. You should go ahead with your bath. I know you were waiting for me to come out," she replied with a faint smile.
He assessed her for a second longer before giving her a small nod and disappearing behind the bathroom door.
