Prologue

The first thing I noticed was cool air tingling my skin, sending goosebumps all over my body. The second thing I felt was cold water rushing in my ears as I threw my hands up in hope of catching something. Then there was pain that came with finally waking. Oh, it was agonizing. Pain blistered up and down my entire body, spiralling to every crevice of myself. My eyes snapped open but I immediately regretted it. A feeling of discomfort and sharp needles pierced through my skin.

Closing my eyes again to keep in a few steady breaths, I tried once more. This time, I was successful, I could keep my eyes open longer than a few seconds.

I moved, trying to get up. But it served as punishment as a strangled yelp left my lips. Pain exploded everywhere but I noticed where the pain was at most.

Abruptly it felt like I couldn't breathe anymore. There was a giant brick sitting on me, closing in on me, depriving me of oxygen. I risked a glance down at myself and this time, nothing was holding back the tears at what my eyes saw. My body was pale and battered. Scratches and blood marred every inch of my body, my feet throbbing with unbearable pain, few remnants of pebbles I ran over a few hours ago added a pile to my suffering.

Sparing a glance to my side, I erupted in sobs when I saw my slashed wrist. The blood flowed down in scarlet waves tinting the blue water.

Did I...did I succeed?

No. No, I couldn't be. Death wasn't that easy, despite its eternal beauty of it, I could never succeed. I could suffer, but never succeed. I inched my head to the side, as footsteps echoed in the empty house.

Empty.

My family was gone. My parents were gone. They didn't keep their promise.

I tried to scream but my head was underwater.

It hurts.

My vision started blurring, the water seeped through my nose, filling up my lungs, confining the walls of my body. I could faintly hear rushed footsteps. I tried to look but failed. The vice of change poisoned my mind, with shimmers of delusional flames. It was too close but with lethal aims of bowing to my desires.

A choked shriek left my mouth whilst cold fingers gripped my bare arms, my body jerked, and a faint sob escaped my lips making me thrash in the hold. Strong arms were achingly wrapped around my body, providing me with the warmth I so greedily desired. I couldn't remember when I was wrapped in a towel when I was laid on the bed.

With uncleared vision, I tried to envision my rescuer, my saviour when I didn't want to be saved. My breaths came out shallow, the water was too deep in my system. My neck strained and my eyes blinked away the haziness as I peered through my lashes towards my right.

I blinked my eyes more, rugged features greeted me. I jerked when an unfamiliar face came into view. I was feeling dizzy but that didn't restrain me from letting out a startled scream. My legs buckled up and I tried to pry his hands off me. My strength had worn out but I thrashed my legs in false hopes of getting away.

His rugged features twisted in a scowl as he growled at me. My eyes widened with the terror of being molested in my own home. My parents were right, without them I was nothing. It had been only a few hours after their demise and here I was, couldn't even help myself.

My heart shattered into millions.

I wanted to scream and cry for help but I had no one to call.

He shackled my wrist in his hold and I hissed my burn as his nails dug into my slitted wound. Of course, God would punish me for the sins I had done.

He pushed me against the mattresses, and my head bounced off the bed, lack of blood made black spots spot my vision. I struggled to get up to run, but the strange man was on me before I could. He seized my wrist in his and something warm was pressed against my skin.

I hissed as it slightly burned but gradually the feeling was replaced with treading sensations of glacial touch.

My body had started to get tired and the lack of blood in my system made me weak. Cold familiar numbness spread through my body. The feeling of losing someone. The feeling of defeat. The feeling that protected me when my body understood I stood no chance. I cried silently, to the loss of my parents and loss of myself. If I let him do whatever he wants, it would end sooner and it would painless.

When I again glanced his way, my heart skipped several beats. His warm tongue was pressed against the slit I had created on my wrist. My eyes closed as he opened his mouth and sucked harder, I felt the suctioned pull in my veins as I stared wide-eyed at him. The rise and fall of his throat clarified that he was sucking on my blood.

W-what was he doing?

New panic rise and I tried to yank my wrist whilst he tightened his hold. A deep frown rested between his thick brows and I anxiously tried to decipher.

Who was he? What was he?

Was I in the afterlife that I hadn't realized yet?

Was I still in my slumber? Was it a nightmare?

"N-no!"

With one last suck, he opened his eyes. And I wished he hadn't because the next thing I knew, an ear-piercing scream left my throat and I panicked with a new fear.

Crimson was just a colour until my eyes landed on his. A deep wine-coloured hue rested in his eyes, the rim of the pupil had a deep golden boundary, the black dot between enclosed with silvery touch. It was beautiful in a way that I realized no normal human would ever possess such distinct features.

My eyes frantically moved towards his hand encircled around my wrist for he had curved nails that were utterly unusual and strange.

Screams of terror and cries of horror left me thrashing in his hold. He wasn't a human. He was not a human! I had concluded. His eyes stood distinct. I would have jumped and run for hills if I was somehow in my right senses but I couldn't. My eyes didn't seem to look away as his cold fingers ran across my cheek, igniting electric shocks all over my skin.

He implores whilst the tips of his thumbs rubbed my tears away from beneath my eyes, his own dispirited perhaps by the fact I had intentionally hurt myself.

All I could do was stare into his eyes as everything around us faded. Through the trance, his eyes held me in I could hear the muffled sound as his lips moved to say something but my mind was slow to process his words carefully.

"Shhh... you're alright." Honey melting voice fell upon my ears as he leaned closer to me. Putting his finger under my chin, I gasped as his touch ignited a burning sensation inside me that I never felt before. He lightly swept his thumb over my chapped lips, causing a shiver down my spine and wanting me to need more.

"No one will hurt you. You're safe." He calmly said stroking his thumb across my tear-stained cheek.

While my eyes stayed locked with his, I couldn't think straight. It felt like he captured me in his hypnotic gaze. He placed his hand over my wounded wrist as he stroked it with his thumb and that's when I noticed that blood had stopped flowing and surprisingly I barely felt any pain.

It was creepy that a male, I couldn't recognize had managed to get into my house, and had strangely glowing fiery eyes that should create a wave of anticipation inside me yet all I could feel was tranquillity.

"W-who are you?" My words could barely reach my ears but they did to his. His lips curled in a small faint smile as he caressed my cheek with his calloused hand.

"I will come back for you, my little one." He stated and gently moved his hand over my eyes. With the lack of eye contact, I started to process what he was saying. While I started to piece together that he had me hypnotized in his trance, I was hit with notifying realization that I had felt serenity with someone who was not even human.

Before I could further divulge everything that happened in the last few minutes, he moved his face closer to my ear I felt his warm breath against my neck. Panic started flooding my guts, I understood more about the prediction I was in.

"Shh... don't resist. I'll be gone before you open your eyes and you won't remember anything." He whispered against my ear and I breathed heavily before I felt him kissing the side of my temple.

My mind was hazed, I tightly closed my eyes, not forgetting the look of confusion on his face, the knuckles of his calloused hands caressed my features.

My tears remembered the pain, though my brain couldn't comprehend it.

And before I could know it, a sharp wind flew past me and the weight of his body lifted. My lids felt strangely heavy and since darkness was a petty friend of mine and it gradually swept me away.