"She came as the sun that calmed the storm of my heart…"
I read out the last line slowly, letting each word settle inside me. When I reached the end, I closed the book with both hands, holding it against my chest as if it still carried the warmth of the story. A soft breath slipped from my lips, and a peaceful smile grew without me forcing it.
"What a beautiful story," I whispered to myself. My voice sounded small in the quiet room.
I sat for a moment longer, feeling the smooth cover of the book under my fingers. My heart felt light. Warm. It was the kind of warmth that stayed in your chest long after the last page. Slowly, I raised my head and looked out the window.
The land outside was calm. The sun was slowly sinking behind the garden, and everything it touched turned warm and golden. The sky glowed with colors that melted into one another, orange, pink, and a bit of purple, like someone had brushed the sky with gentle strokes.
Once the sky turns dark, I'll talk with the master…
The thought made my heart jump a little, both scared and excited at the same time. I placed a hand over my chest and took a deep breath. "I can do this," I told myself, though my voice wavered.
I rested my elbows on the window frame and kept watching the sky, letting myself get lost in it. The sun was fading slowly, almost shyly, slipping behind the edge of the world. The light dimmed bit by bit, making the colors even more beautiful.
This color… I thought as the orange deepened, turning almost vermillion. It reminds me of the master's eyes.
The world outside grew darker. Shadows stretched long across the ground, and the last bits of sunlight clung to the horizon as if they didn't want to leave. Soon, the first thin lines of night brushed across the sky, quiet and soft.
And then, finally, darkness settled over the land like a blanket.
Inside the room, everything went still. The air felt thicker, quieter. My breath felt loud in the dark. For a moment, it was so silent I could hear my heartbeat.
Then- flick… flick… flick…
One by one, the candles in the room sparked to life on their own. Tiny flames bloomed from the wicks. The room brightened with a warm, golden light. The walls glowed softly in the gentle candelight.
I slowly lifted my head.
And I looked up.
I once asked Lilith why the castle always looked so spotless, why every candle lit itself as soon as night fell. She had told me it was because of the master's power. He could tend to the entire castle at once, keeping everything in perfect order, but it also wore him out.
I closed the window and let my hand linger on the sill for a moment. The breeze from outside had cooled, carrying the faint scent of roses.
Returning the book to its place on the shelf, I ran my fingers along the worn edges, feeling the smoothness of the pages. The master has so many romance stories… I thought, letting the words settle in my mind. Yet he's so bitter when it comes to love. Why is that? I didn't know the answer, but it made me curious.
I left the library, closing the door behind me with a soft click. The hall stretched ahead, dimly lit by the candles that had already sparked to life on their own. Their light flickered gently on the walls. I walked slowly, my footsteps soft against the stone floor, but my heart was beating too fast for the quiet to calm it.
My hand rose to my chest, pressing gently against the rapid beat. I'm nervous… I admitted to myself. Is it because I'm afraid of what he will say? I froze for a moment, just standing there, listening to the quiet castle and to my own heartbeat.
How should I approach him? Should I simply say hello? Then what? My mind spun with possibilities. I laughed softly, a little embarrassed by how serious I was taking it. No, no… greet him politely. Ask if he's upset. Yes, that's how I'll do it.
I started walking again, my steps careful, measured. But then I froze again. No, idiot! Asking him why on the spot might… I groaned inwardly. Why am I planning my words like a girl confessing her love for the first time? My cheeks warmed at the thought.
I stopped in the hallway and took a slow, deep breath, letting the air fill my lungs. I let my shoulders drop, trying to release the tight knot of tension in my chest. Just… be normal.
The hall seemed longer than usual. I could hear the faint creak of the floorboards in the distance, the gentle whisper of wind moving through the high windows.
Step by step, I moved closer to the master's chambers. I imagined him sitting there, calm and composed, perhaps unaware of my approach. My mind painted a thousand scenarios, him frowning, looking annoyed, smiling faintly, or simply silent. Each possibility made my stomach twist in a different way.
I glanced down at my hands, folded lightly in front of me. I tried to make them still, but they trembled ever so slightly. I told myself again Just be normal. Don't overthink it. Just… talk.
And yet, as the door to his chambers drew closer, my feet seemed to hesitate. I could see the faint glow of candlelight spilling out from beneath the door, golden and warm.
I swallowed hard and straightened my back. I would do this. I had to. I lifted my hand slowly and reached for the door, my fingers brushing the smooth wood. My heart pounded louder.
My hand went to the doorknob, warm from the candlelight, but I froze. I can't… I can't just open it. I told myself. My fingers lingered there, trembling. I have to knock... Slowly, I let go of the knob, my hand hovering in the air as I tried to steady myself. Taking a deep breath, I lifted my hand, ready to knock on the door.
But my hand didn't move. I lowered my head, taking one last, shaky breath, feeling the air fill my lungs and then release slowly. I tried to calm the tightness in my chest, trying to steady the pounding of my heart. Then, with a quiet resolve, I knocked softly.
There was no answer. I was about to knock a second time when a low voice came from inside:
"Come in…"
It made me flinch, and I swallowed the lump in my throat. My fingers closed around the knob again, twisting it gently, and I stepped inside.
"You're early today, Lilith…" the master said. His voice was calm, low, and steady, though there was something unreadable beneath it. He didn't turn to look at me, sitting in his chair with his back mostly to me, a book open in front of him and a vial of ink at his side as he wrote.
I closed the door softly behind me, the click echoing faintly in the quiet room. I lingered for a moment, unsure how to start, my fingers twisting nervously together. "It's… Eudora, Master," I said at last, my voice barely above a whisper.
At that, he turned his head slightly, surprise flickering in his eyes.
"I told you," he murmured, his eyes shifting away again to the book on his desk, "I wouldn't be drinking from you anymore."
The words hung in the air between us. My hands froze, my chest tightening as I tried to understand the weight of them.
I stayed there, waiting, unsure whether to speak, unsure if it was even safe to move, feeling the full weight of the room and of him.
I stood frozen, staring at his back, the words he had spoken settling between us like dust that refused to be brushed away. I didn't know how to respond.
"I'm… sorry, if I did something wrong." My voice came out small, almost swallowed by the quiet room.
He said nothing. The silence stretched, thin and heavy, pressing against me. I let out a soft sigh and turned toward the door. Maybe I should just leave. Maybe talking to him had been a mistake.
"No."
The single word made me stop mid-step. My head snapped back toward him.
"You didn't do anything wrong," he said quietly. His voice was lower now, gentler, almost soft, though it carried the weight of something unspoken. "I'm the one who's… being childish."
I furrowed my brow. "Then why are you avoiding me, Master? I'd rather know the truth than be treated like a ghost."
He let out a shaky breath and leaned back in his chair, his shoulders slumping as if he carried a weight I couldn't see. "Because… you remind me of someone," he said slowly, each word seeming to cost him more than the last. "And sometimes… I just can't bear to look at you."
I felt a pang in my chest, a mix of confusion and something softer I couldn't name. My expression softened, and my voice came out quiet but steady, "But I'm not that person."
"I know." He dragged a hand through his disheveled hair, fingers tangling in the dark strands as frustration and exhaustion pulled at him. The movement was small, almost weary, yet every gesture carried a weight I could feel even from where I stood. "I know… but I-"
I stepped slightly closer, "Despite that…" I said, my voice firming as I forced my chest to stand tall, though it still thumped against my ribs with nervous energy. "…You're giving me a place to belong. You brought me here for my blood, so let me do what I came here to do."
"Forgive me for speaking this way, but…" I paused, brow furrowed, struggling to shape the words. "I just…" need you… I thought the last two words, too shy to speak aloud, letting them echo silently in my mind.
William let out a soft sigh, closing the book in front of him. He stood slowly, moving with quiet purpose, staring at the book for a long moment before placing it carefully in a drawer. "I'm not proud of how I've handled this," he murmured. "You're not a ghost. I know that. I'm trying to get my head to understand what my eyes refuse to. Just… be patient with me."
I let his words sink in, feeling the tension in the room ease slightly. For the first time since I arrived, I felt a small, fragile thread of understanding bridge the space between us.