An angel stuck in hell With memories and bitter truth part-3

In its place appeared a look of disbelief and despair, as if the weight of the situation was slowly crushing down on her. The rain continued to pummel, a cruel and fitting backdrop for the heavy conversation. Barbara looked into Riona's eyes, her own brimming with determination.

"Just run...Head to the forest, find a safe place to hide, and stay there until I can come to help you settle somewhere safe. Somewhere peaceful, where an angel like you should be."

Riona hesitated, shaking her head. "First of all...I'm no angel, Barbara." she corrected, her voice firm. "And the forest is dangerous! I don't know what horrors lie there and.." Barbara interrupted riona "But it's not worse than you becoming a slave,"

Riona looked at Barbara's face, the determination and conviction in her eyes, she slowly felt her resistance weakening. She knew that the forest was dangerous, but the thought of being a slave was even more terrifying.

After a moment, she nodded slowly. "Okay," she whispered. "I'll go to the forest." Riona and Barbara embraced each other tightly, tears streaming down both their faces. The rain continued to fall down. "I'll come looking for you," Barbara promised. "No matter how long it takes, I'll find you." Riona nodded, her arms wrapped firmly around barbara.

"I know you will," she murmured. Then, with one final, lingering look, the cousins finally pulled apart. Riona stood for a moment, her heart heavy, then turned and ran towards the forest, leaving Barbara watching after her...

As the light of the morning broke through the soft, blue dawn, a sense of calm and clarity filled the room. Through the window, the faint sounds of birds chirping in the trees outside could be heard, their joyous songs heralding the arrival of a brand new day.

The sun's warm, golden rays crept in through the window, casting a soft, glowing light across the room and chasing away any lingering shadows of the night. Riona woke up and sat on the bed, touching her head, "Ahh... my head." Slowly, she remembered that it was the masked man who slapped her. Riona remembered how terrifying it was and now she was stuck with him.

Riona sighed as she remembered what she dreamed about while feeling Worried about being here in this crazy man's house "ahh God please help me." She whispered while remembering how his claws appeared suddenly and how strong he was. "He's scary."

The door handle moved smoothly, silently opening the way into the room. Riona looked up as the man walked in, she looked at his black hair that was pushed back but for a few stray strands that hung past his forehead.

His sharp, gray eyes locked onto hers, and she realized with a slight shock that he wasn't wearing his masquerade mask, making his already striking features even more arresting.

Riona's heart skipped a beat as the man approached her, with a cup of water in his hand. She couldn't help but feel both intimidated and on edge, the knowledge that she was stuck in his house making her discomfort even more intense.

As he handed her the cup, his cold words broke the silence. "I'm not your enemy," he said, his voice sharp and firm. Riona glanced at the cup offered to her hesitantly, and after a brief pause, she took it from his hands, her hand trembling slightly. "Th-thank you," she murmured, her voice soft and nervous.

Riona couldn't help but notice that the man's hand, when he handed her the cup, he didn't have the sharp claws that had appeared so suddenly last night when he slapped her. The memory of that moment was still fresh in her mind.

Riona looked up at the man, her eyes meeting his steely gaze. A spark of Nervous and fear rose up inside her, and she spoke in a slightly louder voice, her words laced with caution. "What are you?"

she demanded, her voice quivering "What kind of creature are you?" The man smirked upon hearing Riona's question, a dry chuckle escaping from his lips. His expression was one of amusement, as if he found her curiosity amusing.

"What do you think, my dear?" he asked, his voice soft and laced with a touch of mockery. Riona tensed at the man's response, his use of the term my dear making her feel both irritated and disturbed.

Riona eyed the man carefully, her heart pounding in her chest. "You're not human," she continued, her voice still firm but tinged with a touch of fear. "You don't look like a vampire or a siren...Are you a hybrid?"

The man seemed to notice Riona's confusion and gave another dry chuckle. He then hummed thoughtfully, as if considering whether to reveal anything else. "Hmmm," he murmured, the sound of his voice filled with an unspoken amusement.

The man's reaction only fueled Riona's curiosity, but before she could press him on the matter, he changed the subject suddenly. "Enough about me," he said, "What about you, my dear, why did you sneak into my house?" Riona froze for a moment, then said, "I'm sorry..."

The man smirked, clearly finding amusement in her apology. He leaned against the wall, his arms folded across his chest. "Well, now we're even," he replied, a hint of mockery in his tone. Riona's cheeks flushed slightly at his words, feeling a mix of irritation and embarrassment.

She knew he was right, they were both holding back information, but that didn't make her feel any less frustrated "Fine," she said through clenched teeth, her eyes narrowing at him. "We're even." Riona took a deep breath and stood up straight from the bed, her eyes still on him. He gave her a sly grin.

"Lady are you an escaped slave?" He said in a curious tone, tilting his head and pretending to be Innocent. His gray eyes were fixed on her. Reona looked at him annoyed and muttered, "Of course not..." The man nodded. He knew she was being honest because he knew when someone was lying.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Riona spoke up, her voice laced with a mixture of anxiety and curiosity. "I... I have a question," she began, her hands fiddling nervously with the fabric of her dress "I want to know what your name is."

His voice was cold and confident as he spoke, a hint of narcissism in his tone, firmly, his eyes locking with Riona's. "My name is Aamon." The name rang in Riona's ears, his cold, confident tone sending a small shiver down her spine. It was a name that was familiar.