Asteria
The cold air filled my lungs, biting and alive, carrying the scent of damp earth and pine, seeping into my bones.
The early morning sky stretched above in deep, velvety blue, untouched by the sun, giving the landscape an almost otherworldly glow.
Shadows clung to the hillsides, mist hovered over the distant trees, and I could not resist pulling out my camera. My fingers tingled as I captured the light over the grass and fog-wrapped trees.
Behind me, Julian moved with steady care, loading our luggage quietly.
I bounced around him, laughter spilling freely, joy rising in my chest. For a brief moment, everything felt perfect.
"I'm glad you are in such a good mood. Are you sure you feel well enough to drive?" Julian asked, his voice calm but edged with concern. His soft brown eyes flicked toward me, searching for the slightest hesitation.
I nodded, smiling. "I promise I will pull over if I need to rest." The wind tangled strands of my hair across my face, and I brushed them back with a laugh.
He had surprised me with a full-week retreat in the mountains: spa treatments, meditation sessions, and couple's massages. The thought of being completely free from obligations made my chest swell with anticipation.
Little did we know, this trip would change our lives forever.
The first stretch of the drive was filled with laughter, memories, and old music blasting through the speakers. Each note seemed brighter in the clear morning air, every lyric pulling us into shared recollections.
"Remember that time in college when you wore socks with sandals to class?" I asked, smirking as I elbowed him lightly.
He threw me a mock glare. "You know nothing about fashion, little miss 'I will wear only leather jackets and boots forever.'"
"And I thought that was your favorite thing about me!" I gasped.
"No," he said, shaking his head with a smile, "it was the interpretive photosynthesis dance."
I threw my head back, laughing. "Okay, that was brilliant. I was a pioneer of avant-garde education."
"You were memorable. Definitely memorable." His elbow brushed mine, warm and teasing.
"And you? Not exactly low-profile either. Remember the poetry slam incident? You put on a whole show about—"
"—about a rock!" he finished, bursting into laughter. "I was dramatic, but it moved people."
I rolled my eyes, grinning. "Moved people to tears of laughter."
He waved a hand dismissively. "Artistry, precision, passion. The class didn't understand my vision."
"And admit it, you secretly admired it." He leaned closer, voice playful.
" Well, I was entertained. Highly entertained," I snorted, shaking my head.
He leaned back in his seat, a grin tugging at hiis lips. "Fine. But admit it. My fumbling attempts to impress you were charming."
I felt heat rising to my cheeks. "Maybe. But don't let it go to your head."
A loose strand of hair fell across my face, and he brushed it away. "Too late. It is already in my head."
I laughed softly, glancing at the dark road ahead.
"Let's not forget the chemistry disaster that turned your hair green. Brilliance or chaos?" he teased.
"Definitely chaos. I looked like a radioactive leprechaun for a week," a groan escaped my lips.
"Maybe a little. You were enthusiastic and distracting," he smirked.
I leaned over, touching his shoulder lightly. "Distracting, huh? That's new."
"Oh, come on. Don't pretend you didn't notice I was doing everything to impress you."
"I honestly didn't think you'd be interested in clumsy me. You were always surrounded by perfectly polished girls," I rolled my eyes at the memory. "Every time I caught you smiling, I told myself it was only because of my green hair or the fact that I managed to burn the water."
He exhaled, leaning closer. "Well, you were intimidating. Most guys were too scared to approach. That worked in my favor. I was fascinated. How could someone be so unpredictable and yet formidable? I had to impress you the way I knew how. And apparently, it worked."
A teasing glint sparkled in his eyes. "Though I may have liked watching you panic just a little."
"So you liked my leather jacket and boots." I laughed. "You were unforgettable too. Even when a disaster."
He nudged my shoulder. "Chaos and Charm."
I grinned, heart fluttering. "Chaos and Charm."
The road was empty, the horizon wrapped in shadow. For a moment, the world felt paused, as if it existed only for us. Two people laughing, teasing, remembering every awkward, perfect memory.
The trees blurred into huge splashes of green as we drove, the wind through the open windows playing with my hair and soothing my mind.
Julian placed a hand on my knee, and I smiled, feeling pure happiness flow through me.
If only I could have held on to that perfect moment… because the next one shattered everything.
A dark figure stood in the middle of the road.
I slammed the brakes and jerked the wheel, sending the car spinning until it faced the opposite direction. My pulse roared in my ears as the tires screeched.
I checked Julian. He was unharmed, only shocked.
When I looked into the rearview mirror, the figure remained. Thick fog curled around the person. Something was deeply wrong. We were in danger.
My hands trembled as I reached under the seat for my emergency bat. Julian started to speak, but I silenced him.
I counted to ten and flung the door open. The figure was gone. Julian's footsteps echoed behind me, but I barely noticed. I paced like a trapped animal, swinging the bat at the empty forest.
"What do you want from me? Why won't you show your face?" My voice tore through the stillness.
"Come on! Face me, you motherfucker!" I shouted again. Frustration surged through me like fire. I couldn't bear anymore.
I listened as the wind whispered through the leaves, when Julian's hands closed gently around my shoulders. He turned me toward him. Pain in his eyes hit me like a blow.
"I am not crazy, I swear," I pleaded.
"I know," he whispered. "It is the lack of sleep. We will figure this out, love." He pulled me into his arms.
A mocking voice drifted to us. "Well, isn't this romantic?"
My heart seemed to stop.
A tall man sat on the back of our car as if it belonged to him alone. His elbows rested on his knees, a pendant spinning slowly between his fingers. A heavy black cloak covered most of his face, with only a few strands of dark hair moving in the wind. Fingerless gloves revealed strange tattoos on his knuckles. Mud clung to his boots, giving the impression that he had risen straight from the ground.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Julian watching him with the same wary intensity that held me in place.
"So you see him too, right?" I whispered.
Julian nodded once, eyes fixed on the stranger.
Relief flickered through me, but vanished just as quickly. He was real. This was not a vision. Danger stood in front of us.
"Who are you, and what do you want? How are you doing this?" My voice trembled with fury and confusion.
"Such a rude tone for a first meeting," he replied, low and amused. He tilted his head and lifted his hood.
My breath stopped in my chest. His eyes shifted between icy blue and violet, sharp and unnatural, eyes that felt as though they could freeze time.
Dark hair framed a face that looked both unreal and striking, half tied back while the rest fell freely in soft waves. The sides of his head were shaved and marked with faint symbols that shimmered in the fog. A few loose strands brushed a strong, unshaven jaw shaped by shadow and light.
He was otherworldly, impossibly beautiful, deliberate in every movement. Something deep within me stirred. A flicker of recognition twisted my stomach. He seemed to know it, and a slow smirk spread across his face, making me hate him instantly and hate myself for being dumbstruck.
Then it clicked. The café. The night he leaned silently against the wall. His presence had lingered like a shadow I could not shake.
Now memory and reality met in a way that left me breathless.
It was him. The same sharp eyes. The same controlled stillness. Every detail aligned with frightening clarity. My stomach twisted with disbelief and a magnetic pull I did not want to acknowledge drew me in. He had followed me now.
My instincts screamed at me to run, yet I could not look away. My chest tightened. My pulse pounded violently. Part of me wanted to disappear. Another part stood rooted, drawn to something I did not understand.
"Let's see..." he said, amusement warming his voice. "Who I am depends on you."
He let the pendant spin once between his fingers, the faint glint of metal catching the light before he stilled it with a tap of his thumb.
"I can be your friend if you behave," he said softly, voice laced with danger.
"Or I can be your worst enemy if you insist on being difficult. Now I'd be lying if I said I didn't prefer the second option." His smile widened, lazy and predatory. "A little resistance always makes things more entertaining."
He straightened, stepping down from the car with the unhurried grace of someone who had all the time in the world.
"What I want is simple. You will come with me. One way or another." His head tilted slightly, icy eyes gleaming with certainty.
"As for how I do what I do," he murmured, voice quiet and unsettling, "you will learn soon enough."
The fog curled at his feet as he took another step forward.
"So," he asked softly, a blend of promise and threat, "what is your choice?"
One step closer, his eyes unblinking… and I realized there was no turning back.