The Devil's Presence

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Aaliyah had found a tap sitting at the back of the mansion, one with running clean water.

But right now she had a small shovel in one hand and had just finished burying something delicate. She had looked around the deserted area countless times to make sure no one was around before she buried her secrets and left in a hurry.

This morning, she had woken up, taken her bath, and wore one of the clothes sent to her. She wasn't too surprised to see that it fit perfectly, and it was something very simple.

"Thank you," She had said to her reflection before leaving the house.

After she returned to the mansion, she cleaned the Fridge thoroughly and arranged the groceries. The sockets for the power supply were working, but the light bulbs weren't which had her concluding that the bulbs had died. And judging from the amount of cobwebs covering it, they had died a long time ago.

Why did that man not even bother to take care of where he lives?

Speaking about that man, she hadn't seen him since she woke up. Aaliyah couldn't even remember when she had fallen asleep last night after he had placed her hand over his heart. It had to be one of the most heartwarming things that has ever happened in her life.

Aaliyah had just finished cleaning the ground floor when goosebumps raised on her skin. She looked at the stairs, wondering if the man she lived with was coming down but there was no sign of him.

As if her senses could tell, her Blue eyes shifted to the door just as it opened and a man walked in.

He was dressed officially with his dark hair falling gracefully and elegantly over his face, and he had the coldest black eyes she'd ever seen. The chills he gave her had her rooted to her spot, leaving her wondering if he was one of the men who were present two weeks ago.

"Who...are you?" She mumbled.

"Thodeore," He replied immediately, "I'm someone your husband knows very much,"

A chill ran up her spine when he referred to that man as her husband, something that hasn't even dawned on her.

In her Frozen state, he walked by almost fluidly and sat down on the sofa.

Aaliyah couldn't help but look at him again. He exuded this different sense of authority and power from the...from her husband or whatever his name is, and he carried himself like he was standing atop everyone else.

Plus, he was insanely good-looking. His facial features were unreal.

His Jaw looked sharp enough to cut through titanium!

Aaliyah was wondering whether she was supposed to go upstairs and inform...her husband that he had a guest over, but then his heavy presence began to fill the room and soon enough, he appeared on the staircase.

"What do you want now?" He growled.

Theodore remained silent, and as calm as ever.

"Little Siren, Disappear from here before I blink again!"

"Why?" She demanded.

The man turned his neck to her, and Aaliyah instantly wished she could take back her words.

"Why should I leave? I'm not...done cleaning,"

He took long strides and was in front of her, snatching her breath away, "I warned you before," He threatened... and raised a hand.

That raised hand spurred up things inside of her, raised so high and descending. Aaliyah knew she was hallucinating the horrifying sight again. This hand she was seeing looked nothing like the one that haunted her mind, but the fear that hit her was powerful.

A quick Jab around her neckline and Aaliyah was knocked out cold. She fell to the ground with both men simply watching her before Theodore faced the person he came here for with a bland look in his dark eyes.

"Stay away from her, or else you'll kill her," Theodore warned sternly.

"Everyone deserves to die," Alastair Replied without a single form of remorse or emotion in his tone.

.

.

.

Aaliyah woke up, disoriented. She just laid there on the floor for minutes, staring at the ceiling trying to recall who she was and everything that had happened so far.

When she tried to stand up, she felt a notorious pain around her neck and winced, forcing herself to sit up and look around. She was in the sitting room, inside the mansion and there were two men with her.

One was sitting with his legs crossed, glasses on his face reading a book like nothing was his concern while the second one, which she recognized better as the man she's been living with since yesterday, was standing near his guest and his body language was sending warning bells and making cold sweat climb her skin.

Aaliyah was taken aback to see the one with glasses completely unfazed.

What was his name again...? Theodore.

"I believe we are done here," Alastair said.

Out the window, Aaliyah noticed that it was already evening. Goodness! For how long was she sleeping on the ground? What even prompted her to lie down there?

"Don't be silly," Theodore smiled softly, and Aaliyah almost broke into a run. That smile... Should that even be considered a smile? His eyes were brewing as he stared at the book, and his muscles were very tensed. He looked insanely dangerous and wicked, inhumane, "I'm not done reading, Alastair," And yet, he maintained his calmness within him.

"Alastair," Aaliyah murmured to herself. Truth be told, she was expecting his name to be as gruesome as he appeared to be. But, it was simply Alastair. First thing about him that did not freak her out.

As Aaliyah looked between the two men, she could tell their conversation hadn't been nice. She never expected Theodore, with his hard features to be the type to smile. Something...or someone had pushed him.

"You god-damned!" Alastair threw at him ruthlessly, his voice exuding command and rage at the same time. Aaliyah was pretty sure that if she could see his face right now, especially those eyes, they would be vomiting balls of larvae right now.

"And you," Theodore disregarded Alastair like he was just the wind talking and looked straight into Aaliyah's eyes, making her swallow.

"Aaliyah," She said to him

"I was not asking for your name. You have a Job here, woman," The smile had disappeared, and he was still very calm...so calm it was frightening.

"I... don't understand...?"

"It was a month, but two weeks and two days have already been wasted. You only have twelve more days now...that is till the end of this month,"

Aaliyah was confused.

"Look at the man standing to my right...," Theodore said, and she would have sworn she heard Alastair snarl like an actual animal, "He needs help, immediately help. And you can help. That is your Job,"

Aaliyah was not liking where this conversation was headed, " What...Kind of help does he possibly need?" She wanted to laugh at her choice of words, but the situation she's found herself in wouldn't let her.

"I guess I'll be asking for too much if I told you to win his heart...," Theodore chuckled this time, hearing the sarcasm in his own words. But immediately, his face constricted again and turned hard.

"Or...do I ask you to make him fall in love with you?"

Aaliyah's eyes had gone wide from his first request.

"That is... incorrigible, it's... impossible!" She burst out, "You can't possibly ask me to..." She paused and looked at Alastair again.

No way, absolutely no way!

"Have you ever heard of the Phrase... 'Nothing is impossible?'"

Aaliyah shook her head, "No,"

"You're not educated," Theodore stated.

"No," She looked down.

"You still have twelve days only,"

She frowned, "I'm not doing it,"

"Alright,"

"Good,"

"Not for you,"

"What?"

"Twelve days,"

"I said I'm not doing it,"

"And I said Alright," He smiled again.

Aaliyah looked away, "I'm leaving," She said.

"Like you can,"

She fisted her hands, "I will!"

"The Door's right there!"

And Aaliyah did what was on her mind all this while. She took off running with her legs that could barely hold her up properly from all the scares she's felt his evening. Her eyes were glued to the open door, and her freedom awaited her on the other side.

Did it?

She found out soon enough.

The Light coming from the other side suddenly turned into the darkness, stealing the little hope in her heart and she ended up running into what felt like a wall.

She fell to the ground and winced from the sharp pain in her neck again.

"Where do you think you're running to, Little Siren?" Alastair stood over her.

Aaliyah was shocked. She did not see him running after her, so how...?

Theodore casually continued to read his book, like he had seen it all coming.

"Twelve days, Aaliyah," Theodore turned a page, "If it's too much, just make him Softer. Let him stop treating you like...that."

"I don't want to!" She yelled at him.

"For someone who didn't dare talk back at your people at the church till your last moments, you sure know how to unveil your wings now,"

Aaliyah grew silent.

"And For someone...so small and Naive, you sure do know how to bury things Properly... like you did this morning,"

If Aaliyah did not see Theodore as the devil before, she sure did now.