His name echoed like a distant whisper.
Gradually, the sound became louder. Clearer. Closer.
Then hands grabbed his coat and began shaking him.
Shaphira was calling for him.
Slady's vision blurred before stabilizing. Amid the saliva spread across the floor, his rolled-back eye slowly focused on the girl. He found Shaphira kneeling before him, her fingers tightly clutching the dark fabric as she hugged him without hiding the sweat running down her body.
She said she had found him unconscious. Admitted how worried she had been.
Slady remained motionless for several seconds, his hands resting on her waist for support.
He tried to reassure her.
Claimed he had simply fallen asleep there without noticing. His hands slowly slid across Shaphira's waist, but she pulled away shortly after. Holding his face between her fingers, she squeezed his cheeks while demanding to know why anyone would use the floor as a bed.
He answered that the exhaustion had been so overwhelming he had not even realized where he collapsed.
Still sitting on top of him, Shaphira crossed her legs and demanded that he never scare her like that again.
Slady agreed without hesitation.
Satisfied, she finally stood and announced she would bake a cake to help him wake up properly.
Maybe it was hunger.
He thanked her quietly.
After she left, Slady slowly sat up and briefly glanced at the saliva spread across the floor before looking away. He walked to the bathroom, filled the sink with cold water, and submerged his face into it.
The tension in his muscles immediately began dissolving.
But when he looked back at the mirror, he felt a certain... weight.
His eye seemed to struggle to maintain contact with the reflection. His fingers trembled over the sink.
For a moment, he touched the eyepatch.
His index finger found the exact center.
He pressed.
It did not sink in.
Slady let out a long sigh.
***
Later, already seated at the table, Shaphira commented on how rare it was to see him without that thing covering his second eye.
Slady replied that, even though there was nothing beneath the eyelid anymore, it still felt good to remove the cosmetic from time to time.
She merely nodded.
Then she calmly stood, using the spatula to cut the still-warm brown cake. Steam slowly rose as she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. She commented on how much she loved that recipe and thanked him once again for teaching it to her.
The slice landed on the plate.
Slady broke it apart with his fingers while watching Shaphira shove large portions into her mouth without any restraint. Small satisfied noises escaped her with every bite.
Slowly, he did the same.
But soon he looked away and coughed.
One of Shaphira's ears immediately perked up. She asked whether the taste was bad or if he had swallowed wrong.
Slady shook his head.
Said only that the dessert was still too hot.
She called him picky before stuffing her mouth again.
Silence lingered for a few moments.
Then, suddenly, Shaphira asked if Elisa would like her cooking.
Slady's only eye opened a little wider.
He questioned why she was asking that.
She explained that, a few days earlier, she had promised her friend she would let her try something made by her own hands.
Slady answered that then it would be fair to make more cake.
He even said he could help her.
But before he could even try standing up, a hand pushed his shoulder back against the chair.
Shaphira puffed her cheeks in irritation while ordering him to simply get ready, look handsome and charming, because she herself would make the brownie.
Slady placed both hands on the table and tried arguing that a small extra touch would make the dessert even better.
She refused immediately.
The cake would be made by her.
Alone.
He swallowed dryly and lowered his head in silence.
Shaphira crossed her arms and smiled with satisfaction, partially showing her teeth while commenting how nice it was to see him like that, obedient.
Then she left.
Her firm footsteps echoed throughout the library until disappearing into another room.
Slady slowly raised his head again.
He stood from the chair and headed toward the second floor.
But halfway there, his body seemed to lose strength.
One hand pressed against the wall before he collapsed to his knees.
The voices.
The memories.
The truth.
Everything returned at once to crush him.
It was temporary.
None of that would last forever.
It would end.
Slady shook his head and continued walking toward the bedroom. Even so, his own body seemed smaller. More hunched than before.
He separated a few formal clothes from the wardrobe.
Then blinked.
The entire room became covered in reddish stains.
A female scream crossed the room like a gust of wind.
Slady immediately covered his ears and collapsed onto the floor. His teeth ground together as he begged for it to stop. Said it was already enough.
Then everything fell silent.
But when he looked again...
There was a body before him.
Shaphira.
Without eyes.
Without a mouth.
Empty.
Slady tried to back away, but the creature's limp arms slowly wrapped around his body. The deformed mouth began opening while he desperately pushed that figure away.
His back felt lighter and lighter.
Giving way.
Then he was swallowed.
And fell.
He fell through a bottomless abyss.
...
...
...
***
Knocking at the door shattered the darkness.
Shaphira's voice called for him, announcing the cake was ready.
Slady abruptly awakened once more, pulling himself away from the floor while his hand immediately rose to his chest.
Thump thump thump thump thump!
He slowly drew in air.
Held it.
Released it.
His heartbeat gradually slowed again.
From the other side of the door, Shaphira called him once more, reminding him of the time.
Slady apologized through the door. Claimed he had become distracted organizing the room.
***
A short while later, Shaphira carefully focused on braiding his hair.
Her tongue slightly peeked between her lips while she narrowed her eyes, concentrating on the delicate task of placing small flowers among Slady's dark strands.
Then, without warning, she lightly smacked his head and announced she was done.
She pushed him toward the mirror.
Slady slowly raised a hand and touched the petals attached to his hair.
He caressed them.
A small smile appeared on his face.
It felt strange.
Even Shaphira agreed. She commented that a man dressed in such dark clothing wearing flowers in his hair created an unusual sight. She was already considering forcing him into brighter clothes.
Slady immediately refused.
In truth, he admitted he had found a certain beauty in the flowers.
And asked her to arrange him like that more often.
Shaphira's eyes sparkled.
She hugged him without hesitation, saying she would gladly do so.
Slady breathed deeply.
Closed his only open eye.
Then squeezed her hand.
Their fingers slowly intertwined.
***
Later, they walked through the streets.
Shaphira carefully carried the cake, protecting the warm tray with a cloth wrapped between her fingers. Slady walked beside her, his arms crossed behind his back.
From time to time, he cast discreet glances in her direction.
Shaphira noticed.
She asked why he kept staring at her.
Slady instinctively looked away, apologizing first. Then he admitted he had never seen her look so beautiful. Said she deserved praise for putting so much effort into it.
Her lips curved into a subtle smile.
Her forehead rested against his arm as she quietly thanked him for the compliment.
When they arrived at La Taberna, the bells above the door echoed through the establishment.
The place was empty.
The clock marked the beginning of the night.
Even so, two figures remained in front of the bartender, talking loudly and carelessly.
A man.
A woman.
The voices immediately ceased when the door opened.
Slowly, both turned their heads.
Faller.
Victoria.