Chapter 16: About Last Night

Warm sunlight caressed Keisha's face, the delicious smell of pancakes filling the air. She purred in delight, wondering what inspired Steph to cook today. As far as she remembered, there wasn't even a kitchen in their room so how was Steph even cooking?

Wait a second, Keisha thought as her eyes shot open. Wasn't her room flooded?

She jerked awake, sitting up in the leather sofa that certainly wasn't hers. The oversized t-shirt covering her body also wasn't hers, and her eyes widened in alarm.

Had she done it?

Lifting up the shirt, she heaved a sigh of relief when she found her underwear still intact on her body- false alarm, thankfully. Looking around, her surroundings reeked of luxury; a king-sized bed, a curved OLED TV, in-ceiling lights and ceiling-to-floor windows.

This definitely wasn't her room.

Wondering how on Earth she got here, Keisha tried to remember the previous night's events. She'd gone to a party, then she'd gotten tied up to a tree by an asshole, after which a monster tried to kill her but then a strange man with arrows saved her, and finally she passed out after seeing said asshole looking like a glorious angel.

Just how much did she drink last night?

Looking down at her wrists, she gasped at the deep cuts across them, undebatable proof that last night wasn't a drunken dream. Heck, she hadn't touched a drop of alcohol at the campout.

Did she really almost get killed by a monster?

"Oh my God!" Keisha gasped in horror, the memory of the feral look in the monster's eyes sending shivers down her spine. Images of its dead body lying there, its blood splattered all over her, played in her mind, and she held back the urge to throw up.

She'd almost died in that forest, and if it wasn't for that archer…she shuddered at the thought. He'd saved her life, but she didn't even know his name. She didn't even thank him.

What kind of ill-mannered ingrate was she?

The sound of footsteps approaching the door interrupted her thoughts, panic overcoming her. She didn't know where she was or how she got here, the last thing she wanted to do was meet whoever lived here. How would she explain herself?

Sprinting from the couch, she dashed across the room in a bid to escape into the bathroom. Unfortunately, she was too slow as the door swung open behind her, catching her mid-stride.

"I see you're fully recovered."

Keisha wished the ground would open up and swallow her, shame weighing down on her like a sack of bricks. Turning around, she bowed her head in shame, muttering awkwardly.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know you were coming."

"Guess you won't be needing this anymore." Keisha looked up to see what this person was talking about, and she nearly did a spit-take. Luka leaned casually against the doorframe, holding a pack of bandages. "You seem fine now."

Blinking back her surprise, Keisha awkwardly shuffled from foot to foot. Last night's happenings were still fresh in her mind, and she couldn't help but think about how flawless he looked. Even now he stilled looked flawless, his soft-looking hair flopping messily in all directions.

Realizing she was staring at him like a fool, Keisha looked away, flustered. Eyeing her suspiciously, he tossed the bandages toward her. "Just in case I'm wrong."

Catching it clumsily, Keisha murmured a small 'thanks', pulling open the box and taking out some bandages. It was quite a hassle putting them on her injured wrists all by herself, and she couldn't help but internally cuss at Luka for not offering her assistance. Why hadn't he bandaged up her wounds last night when he found her anyway?

Such an asshole.

Looking up, she found the asshole in question peering curiously at her, his arms crossed against his chest. He was in a tank top and sweatpants, his toned arms on full display as his muscles contracted from the position his arms were in. His head was cocked to the side, and Keisha felt awkward underneath his studious gaze.

"Please stop staring at me. It's uncomfortable."

"How much of last night do you remember?"

Keisha was taken aback by his question, not sure if she was ready to share the previous night's encounter. She didn't trust Luka, as he was the one who left her there in the first place. Also, she'd seen him transform into some kind of ethereal being, so for all she knew he may be one of those creepy monsters. Something inside her didn't quite believe that, though.

"I don't remember much," Keisha lied, deciding to feign ignorance. If he thought she didn't remember anything, he wouldn't question her any further and he'd let her go. She didn't want to get involved in whatever paranormal activity he was into.

She'd seen way too many horror movies to make a stupid mistake like that.

Luka narrowed his eyes at her, a scowl forming on his face. "Don't lie to me, little girl. I'm not a fool"

"I'm not lying. I don't even know how I got here," Keisha defended, sprinkling a dash of truth to make her lie more believable. She was not the best liar, and she desperately hoped he wouldn't see right through her.

The last thing she wanted to do was upset him. He'd already proved he was a psychopath; she didn't want him to turn into some demon and kill her too.

He scoffed disapprovingly, stalking toward her with a frown. Keisha gasped as he stopped right in front of her, thankfully not as close as he usually comes but not far enough to not be within her personal space. Did this boy have no respect for personal boundaries?

Locking gazes, she involuntarily held her breath as his hazel eyes pierced through her. A familiar golden glow shimmered in them, mesmerizing her instantly. She suddenly felt lightheaded, becoming more and more unaware of her surroundings. The world around her seemed to fade into a blur, the golden flecks in his eyes the only thing she could focus on.

What the hell was happening to her?

It felt like she was in some kind of trance, her mind awake but not present. When Luka spoke, his voice was low and commanding, as if he were instructing a child. "Tell me what you remember from last night."

"Nothing," Keisha whispered, not wanting to expose herself despite the spacey mess her mind currently was. Her head was spinning, and though she wasn't atop a tall height, she felt vertigo.

A look of shock crossed Luka's face, his eyes reverting back to their original color. Immediately, Keisha was released from the trance, and she took a step back from him, terrified.

How did he do that to her?

"Impossible," Luka muttered, disbelief evident in his features. Keisha stared back in horror, shrinking under his calculative gaze. She backed even further way, wanting to be as far away from him as possible.

Just what kind of creature was he?

Noticing her slowly retreating figure, he frowned. The golden glow returned to his eyes, bringing back with it the dizziness Keisha previously felt. The intensity of his stare made her weak in the knees, all the hair on her body standing up.

"Come here, Keisha," Luka ordered, his voice stern. Instinctively, she moved back, fear gripping her at what he would do to her if she obeyed his command. His eyes widened in shock, the gold glow fading back to brown.

Striding toward her, he closed the distance between them, grabbing her by hand and yanking her forward. Glaring, he growled at her. "How are you doing that?"

"Doing what?" she whimpered, frightened by his sudden aggression.

"Don't play dumb with me, little girl!"

"I'm not playing dumb! I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Liar!" he roared angrily, roughly shaking her. Tightening his grip, Keisha yelped in pain, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Please stop. You're hurting me!"

"That's the point," he snarled, violently pulling her toward him, his grip growing tighter and more painful as he used his free hand to jut her chin up, forcing her to look at him. Gone were the hypnotic orbs that enchanted her moments ago, and in their place was a cold, menacing glare.

He was absolutely terrifying.

"Now answer my question before I fucking break your arm! How the hell did you resist compulsion?"

Keisha burst into tears, confused and afraid. She had no clue what Luka was talking about, yet he demanded an answer from her. What kind of sick monster was he?

"I don't know!" she cried out amidst sobs, his steel grip inflicting agonizing pressure. "I swear, I don't know anything!"

She was sobbing uncontrollably, an unpleasant mix of pain and fear causing her chest to tighten. Tears streamed down her face and she felt exposed and vulnerable as his steely gaze inspected her, his hand still firmly holding her chin. The suffocating feeling in her chest only multiplied, and she began to wheeze. She gasped desperately for air; her lungs burning for oxygen.

She didn't want to die. She didn't want this monster to kill her!

Realizing she was having a panic attack, Luka immediately let go of her, and she fell to the floor, coughing violently. Alarmed, he got on his knees beside her, grabbing her shoulders to calm her down.

"Breathe, Keisha! Breathe!"

His words didn't alleviate her fear, as she only hyperventilated harder, her eyes beginning to roll backward in her skull. Panicked, Luka shook her shoulders desperately, yelling her name to bring her back to reality.

"Keisha! Stay with me! Keisha!"

Keisha couldn't focus on what he was saying, the suffocating pain in her chest dulling all her senses. His voice sounded muffled and distant, her eyes growing heavier with each word. Her vision began to blur, her mind going dark; and for the second time in less than twenty-four hours, Keisha passed out.

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