It was way past 12:00 am. Security personnels were done roving. The only people on the top floor are Care and the man lurking in the dark. The tension rose as the night breeze blew.
More than bringing a jacket, she cursed her stupidity for not bringing phone at least!
In order to ensure safe distance, she retraced her steps meters away from the creep's position. He took a step forward enough for his face to be illuminated by light. His vicious smile, mischievous emerald eyes and height that towered over her unnerved her spunk. Everything about him screamed bad news!
"Sweetheart, don't you remember your real savior?" he asked languidly.
"Scratch the endearment. We aren't close, Mister! I'm not particularly trusting towards strangers so kindly leave me be or else I'll have you arrested." Care threatened.
It was a deceitful statement to lower his guard. Her real intention was to escape if given the opening. She turned to run but then he moved at a speed of lightning. In a matter of seconds, he already stood in front of her sparing no appropriate space. She gasped. For the first time, she thought her soul would jump out of her body!
"You don't get to trick a trickster." He remarked and grabbed her wrist.
She trembled expecting to experience his brute strength. So surprisingly his firm grip around her wrist was tender that she halted her struggle to break free. She watched him raise her hand in midair. Briefly, a symbol of a circle glowed gold on her palm, burning her skin a bit in the process.
Vague memories become lucid.
She recalls!
Time ceased flowing yet the same guy standing before her continued to stride casually while everybody lost their motion. He crouched to her level and they made a pact about an absurd idea of a fated pair. Her body quivered, overwhelmed both by the revelations and resurfacing of the pain her body still remembers.
Regardless how surreal, Care believes! If not, the chances are she meets death at the stage then later on turns as lead star of a phenomenal horror story.
"Aww, I did shake hands with a devil." She mumbled.
He lets her go, dramatically, backing away as if he was bitten by a snake. Gone was his menacing look: his face contorted into an offended expression yet comical to her eyes.
"Whoa, hold up! I ain't a devil. I am Gallus, a Fae! And if you might ask, that symbol signifies our sacred agreement which neither of us has liberties of breaking. The round shape entails that we are bound to meet the conditions NO MATTER WHAT." He overemphasized.
She moved farther to maintain an appropriate distance between them again. Truth is, she is partly uneasy towards him. However she also felt a sense of familiarity.
"Sure." she curtly replied.
"Sure?! Can your reaction be any duller?" he mocked.
She crossed her arms while glowering at him. Although, literally speaking, that was impossible given his height. To be fair, encountering a Fae dressed in punky fashion made her wonder and respect plummet lower than the stock market during the Great Depression in the 1930's. Plus, his hair is dyed blue.
No wings... No pointy ears... No pixie dust!
Her childhood fantasies are ruined by the so proclaimed fairy who seemed more like a trying hard band vocalist.
"What do you want me to do, Mr. Fae? Scream? Pinch myself? Act hysterical? Cliché reactions are for normies. In other words, it's an insult to ask me to be one of the average people. I am Caress Aragon, the beauty you could only see once in a millennium! Cut me off some idiocy! I am special!" She scoffed.
His face mirrored an expression of a man who attended a burial only to encounter the dead they mourned for were all smiles and perky the day after.
"No, you're simply a creepy, lunatic mortal. I wasn't asking you to be common. I was saying act like a normal person! Are you for real, kiddo?" he retorted.
She walked up to him. The image of wounded Eliseo flashed on her head... The dagger struck in his stomach... his blood on her hands while she bawled in front of everybody to see! She relived a terrifying nightmare casting Ramses as the killer, Eli as the victim and she as the root of it all.
How bad could that be?
The Gala was ruined. Aside from that, she has to put up with the traumatic experience and deal with humiliation and pity she abhorred the most. By merely contemplating these facts, her blood boiled and as if it was alive, it seeks vengeance!
Consumed by the stress of the aftermath she is yet to face, innocent Gallus slowly faded in her rational mind. In her eyes, he was changing form into a massive punching bag that needed the swing of her itching hand. She was determined to do it no matter what.
The unsuspecting Gallus, on the other hand, was now smirking and unbothered. He thought the young girl was about to embrace him out of heartfelt gratitude. After all, she hid her sinister plan through a beguiling smile akin to one of the beautiful mermaids that tricked sailors in distant seas. She killed the act with her amber eyes sparkling like crystals and her perfect set of white teeth showing.
It happened in a blink of an eye and not even Gallus could evade. She let her palm land heavily on his cheek causing his face to turn sideways. The slap echoed in the entire garden. His eyes almost popped, his jaw dropped at the same time.
"That's my normal reaction, incompetent fairy godmother! If you rewinded the time farther like I didn’t have to come up to the stage. Viola! I am safe, Ram is restrained and Eli's life would not have been endangered. You granted my wish, yes, but not flawlessly so no thank you for you." she spat.
He caressed his reddening cheek.
"That stings! Pretty looks surely are deceiving but hey, once-in-a-millennium-beauty! You aren't the fairest on the land and definitely your beauty is not even that rare! Importantly, I saved you flawlessly." He ranted, pointing his index finger at her.
She glared at him condescendingly while crossing her arms.
"Is that so?" she mocked.
"What have I done? You were right when you said this is a deal with the devil because you are the devil! I should’ve known the moment I saw your demon eyes." He rebuts.
"Excuse me! How da---" she protested, however was rudely cut off.
One snap of his fingers, she suddenly cannot speak. She opened her mouth once more but no sound was heard. Now the one looking smug is Gallus.
"Immaculate silence, isn't it? You will not speak unless I am done. Your loverboy hurt and your assailant in jail? You only have yourself to blame. I did my end of the bargain. You knew evading was the right call. Shockingly, viola! You stood frozen. I was wrong for thinking the greedy woman feared death yet didn't dodge the attack."
She rolled her eyes and gave him a bitch face. It irked him more. He cannot help but search for the helpless girl he showed compassion because all he could see today was a damn entitled queen!
"Don't give me that knowing look, devil incarnate. Fairies are not omnipotent beings. I’m only capable of reverting back time to a minute at best. Changing many chunks of events is beyond my power which explains why you could make an alter move at a crucial moment that you wasted magnificently. Besides, saving another person is not part of the deal. You solely desired to live still beautiful. I granted it so now it's your turn."
He snapped his fingers returning her ability to speak. She sighed in relief before going in full saucy mode.
"As I recalled, you were asking for something. Are you bluntly saying you are gay?" She hinted.
"I am not gay, sweetheart. Nonetheless, I dislike confiding my reasons to a meanie that you are," He stated in a matter-of-fact tone, "I am lending you the ancient nemesis of thread of fate."
Without asking permission first, he caught her hand and placed a rustic, sharp edged scissors atop her open palm. She immediately grunted in protest. The hollowed sensations she suspects the object emits numbed her fingertips as she carried it.
"A scissor?! What the heck? Are you kidding!?" She almost burst out laughing.
His expression remained stoic. Care was shortly taken aback. The atmosphere quickly felt heavy yet she refused to be swayed.
"Let's proceed to universe top secrets lesson 101, sweetheart. Every blessed pair is connected with the red string of fate that pulls them towards each other. In mortal terms, one calls this string of coincidences destiny. Now, what to do to tear them apart?"
"Sever the red string using the scissor?"
"Magnifico! Once-in-a-millennium beauty possesses brains, too. Back on the agenda, do what you must."
He stole her hand for the nth time. She was about to forcefully get it when unexplainable energy welled up her body to the brim.
"The problem is the power I'm vesting to you has its constraints. You won't be able to see the red string that connects your wrist to your Fated unless you hold his hand. It takes thirty seconds for it to appear so before that, don't let go no matter what. No matter what! Understand? I'm just giving you thirty days. If you can’t comply, you won't die but be the ugliest to the point that no one can beat your title for an entire millennium."
"You mean I will hold any guy's hand until I find my own man?"
"Good, good! You're following. Good luck! Do your part or else you will be kissing goodbye to your once-in-a-millennium beauty which I don't really believe."
"What? This sounds like a joke to me!" she exclaimed, trying to stifle her chuckle.
Gallus bent to the side of her head. Chilly gale rushed in as he whispered to her ear. The next minute he was gone and she was left alone breathless.
The news about the attempted murder on Caress Aragon at Gala's peak moment spread like wildfire across the metropolis and neighboring places. It was the number one talk of the town. The local media right away released special exposés of the assailant identified and arrested the same night all thanks to the hailed hero, Eliseo Manaloto. The culprit, Ramses Cooper, was actually found out as an alleged childhood friend of the esteemed lady. Upon unwarranted digging, reporters soon discovered that Ram’s father was a former gardener in the Aragon household. Details why he resigned from the job remained a mystery as well as what happened to their friendship since then. From that point, many made speculations on their own. One source speculates they might be childhood sweethearts driven apart by their families while another claim
The news that the elusive Caress Aragon finally accepts suitors spread far and wide. It excited several prominent families who dream of having the most beautiful maiden as their daughter-in-law. The day after the rumor was leaked, the Aragon mansion turned into a garden in an instant while in-house telephones won't stop ringing. Different flower bouquets were sent tucked with love letters. The man of the house, Arnaldo Aragon, cannot sit still. He walked back and forth, grumpily speaking to the other line. Veins protruded from his forehead as his nostrils almost flared fire. Helena was rather lively compared to him. She stayed glued on the phone, accepting date invitations and even implicated the idea of matrimony either because she is delighted for her daughter's unexpected change of heart or she wishes to kick her out of the house. The latter seemed to be more probable.
Volts of electricity struck every fiber in her, making her body jump. The cause was a pair of calloused hands touching her bare shoulders while nudging her to walk forward at the same time. She jerked her head at the shameless lad failing right after because he pulled her closer to his athletic build. Her nose inhaled the impudent's misty fragrance and blimey --- she found it intoxicating! The impudent man still had the nerve wrapping a knitted scarf around her head. She tried repulsing from his grip to no avail. For unbelievable reasons, her body temperature rose as though she was a torch being lit. Whether it was due to embarrassment or euphoria is unknown even to herself. She raised her head a little to peek at him so she knew whose existence she would humiliate.To her utter shock, it was Eli! Her mind went completely bl
To erase Eli in her mind, Care visited every luxurious store in Aurum dragging Aster by the arm. She pointed and pointed at things she thought pretty without checking its price tag: bags, shoes, dresses and many more. It is the girl’s unwise habit whenever she is down in the dumps. Binge shopping at its finest! Harris and Teddy were rather seen as attendants carrying a bunch of shopping bags on both hands. They shared the same weary look of Aster due to strolling for four hours here and there. Their legs went numb as hard as bricks. Moving them as they walk takes such a vigorous effort. On the other hand, Care pranced buoyantly that they wondered if her legs were made up of metal. The agony was too great, Aster cannot repress herself any longer. She pulled Care's arm before she entered another shop AGAIN!
Inside the Aragon mansion, maids scurry around cleaning, cooking and decorating for a luncheon between the heads of Aragon, Nguyen, Salvador and Thorne. Their youngsters by then are set to go on a double date tonight. Caress and the shy Lark Salvador will be joined by another pair, Ivy and Caspian Thorne. Among people in Alta Sociedad, the said families are clad in wealth and power, most especially Salvadors. Lark came from a long line of a political dynasty starting with his governor grandpa. His father is also the mayor of Aurum while his stepmom holds the vice mayoral position. One uncle of his is a senator and the other one is a congressman. Political leverage is their strongest suit, indeed. Seeing how things had progressed, Care locked herself in her room. She was racking her brain to come up with a nice way to dump a Salvador firstborn.
The moment she climbed the iron wrought gates, she felt liberated and so she walked aimlessly. Her feelings of fear were overwhelmed by excitement of what she was about to discover. She broke free from the townhouse that held her prison. Birds chirping, rabbits running frenzy, the sound of leaves rustling... everything around her made her either gasp, giggle and leap! She journeyed unaware that it had been for hours. The numbing pain assaulting her legs down to her feet allowed her to realize. And her parched throat begging for water made her regret. I should rest a little then return home, she decided. However, her eyes landed on a small community below the hill. Her heart almost leapt out of its ribcage. She had never seen oth
Freshmen gathered in the enormous auditorium of Aurum University(AU). General orientation is on going. Students drifted far from the announcements, as they appeared transfixed with sneaking glances at Care sitting together with the Nguyen triplets who were naturally eye catchers. No wonder they automatically rise to campus celebrities on their first day. The Prefect of Discipline(POD) head discussed the same old set of school rules upstage. Some slept discreetly, a few managed to use their phones while many chit chatted with their group of friends in hushed voices. Always competitive with everything, Ivy and Care listened to the discussion because both ladies intend to run for the first year representative seat. Before boredom became the death of her, Marigold poked Ivy's shoulder
Some hooted when she removed her sweaters without further ado. It died down quickly because she wore a white t-shirt underneath. Care nearly rolled on the floor with a good laugh. Hooray, idiots! Marigold drew out next. Let it be not X-rated, Ivy prayed zealously. "Lap dance!" Marigold shouted followed by hoots from her perverted male fans. "I volunteer as a tribute!" Roux butted in. He appeared behind the bar counter, two of his upper shirt buttons were unbuttoned. Ivy heaved a big sigh, one arm on her hip. She felt demoralized the second a sultry music played while the immorals, her siste
Amongst fairies, there was a story known by all but none of them ever speaks of.Long, long ago, a fated pair was born at a perfect time in the peaceful land. Deities dotted their love the most compared among millions of pairs due to the tragedy of their past. The couple kept missing each other’s lifetime for centuries. Whenever one comes to the world, the other departs within the same day or the span of weeks. They sometimes met yet so brief it frustrated the ageless beings.Supernatural beings such as fae-folk, even as mere watchers of their love story deprived of the chance to begin, mourned how gut-wrenching it was and vowed to ensure their ‘happily ever after’.Living in different cities, Agape in alias
PART I - Severed Fates is officially done. I will be posting PART II after a two month break so I'll probably back by the second week of March. School has been tough or sometimes unexpectedly busy so I need ample time to write more without worrying to miss weekly updates. In that way, I won't run out of my prepared chapters like it did with the last 5 chapters. It super caused me a great delay, phew. As for the second part's own short prologue, I'd drop it as soon as I can. Hope you understand and always keep safe and kicking! Lots of love!
A lone fighter. She was fine with that. After all, this mess was her doing. Fired up because of her newfound purpose, she hailed a cab since she planned to wait for Eli in Tiya Rosa's cottage. The split-second shocked expression of the driver while she was instructing him the address was overlooked by her eyes fixating outside as though by some miracle, Eli would pop out of nowhere. By the next minutes, she slept on the passenger seat without her intending to. The faint sound of engines dying awoke her and the first thing welcoming her sight was a police station. She jolted and glared at the driver about to step outside to open her door. "Mister, what the actual crap? I'm capable of paying fare, for your information." She asserted in a high, irritated pitch.
Opposite ends coiled. Its red shimmer turned somber as the string of fates was completely cut off. Care instinctively clutched her chest while gasping for air and her tears trickling on the sand one after another, floored by a longing so intense that plagued her soul. If she could only reach or seize what was amiss deep within her, she would! On the other hand, Eli was motionless. The disunion crushed him just as much through an unsettling feeling that shook his whole body; hollowed sensations even felt by his fingertips. His tears fell, too, conveying the depth of his pain he has yet the capacity to comprehend. WHOOSH! Gusts of winds sent their photo memento adrift the air current while waves swallowed the rusty scissors unbeknownst to them because of the unprecedented arrival of two myst
A makeshift stage, the jazz punk feels backdrop... A local band performing live was the root of attraction, she supposed. Steel barricades set the boundary for the audience which meant no high ground for her to survey the area. The unfamiliar song in play tickled her ears, diverting her attention upstage. 🎶🎶🎵 I'll live in our little world for now So I say, please let me hold you Little longer, tighter, sweeter La, la, la let's cherish the moment before parting later 🎶🎶🎵
I won't be able to update for two weeks starting this week so my next release will be on December 22. My apologies, sincerely. Just had so much on my plate with our finals on top of the list but to compensate I'll dro the last part of 29 and 30 in consecutive days. Hope you're doing fine and getting by, fellas. XOXO!TEASER:"Why won't you ask my name?" She asked since they reached the point of taking pictures two strangers together do not normally do.She sat up so he did the same."Do you want to tell me?" he answered with another question right of the bat.Introducing herself as Caress would sound absurd while using Aurelia makes her sick in the stomach and uttering a false name is burdensome. To hide in anonymity felt good. Therefore, she found herself slowly shaking her head.
The first hours felt like her body was dipped in hot and cold simultaneously. Care suffered from chills all over apparent through her teeth chattering. She nearly believed she was charcoal lit on a furnace. In her awake but upside down and dancing in waves vision, she watched Eli as he wiped her arms with a damp face towel in efforts to lower her 39.8℃ body temperature. It was the gentle strokes of his hand that lull her to sleep again.Her parched throat hurt, waking her up in the process."Wa..ter." she mumbled.Eli rose from his armchair and put his book down upon noticing the movement of her lips. He leaned in, kneeling at the bedside. She unintentionally swallowed her remaining saliva due to his strong misty scent invading her nostrils and luring her to nuzzle into the crook o
Throughout the day, she was a social butterfly again in order to remind herself who she is. She is hellbent on erasing any traces of Aurelia Vicentes in herself. Pushing Ram's death at the farthest corner of her mind was what she believed the first requirement until Eli showed up. The man she thought warmhearted was actually capable of ruthlessness. He shamed her with black rose bearing a symbolic meaning of deep-seated hatred, rudely turned his back at her and ignored her calls. Lots of onlookers started murmuring to each other. Gossips will surely blow up if she follows him further. Nonetheless, her poor legs, yet to recuperate from strenuous physical activities she had been forced through, ran after him. "Eli, wait!" she shouted half-begging. He kept his brisk pace as if he heard nothin
Years ago, Eli's recollection of the past From the young age of six, his father frequently pats his head and tells Eliseo, "Son, as the eldest, I trust you would be responsible. Look after your siblings." People commend their family for living in virtue despite their poverty. It confused him since he knew money was a constant problem to them. One time, he roused from bed due to thirst. Faint sobs were picked by his ears as he passed from the room of his parents. Coincidentally, his Mama emerged through the door opening. Her eyes dilated; surprised he was still up. She averted his gaze quickly. Eli, being a filial son, wrapped his arms around her tiny waist. "Papa and I are blessed to have a very responsible