Chapter 45: The Cryptic Passage
The stars were bright on that night. There was no moon, but the sadness was dispelled by some other force aside from the missing prowess of Selene—
The fair maiden, who forgot her name, was alone in a dim room but joyous as if some merry spirits danced along with her childish spree. Her voice was beautiful, her laughs were infectious—she was divine! She was the hidden gem buried in the deep soil. Oh, how perfect indeed she was, though her mind was as shallow as the early morning sea tide.
No more did her logic forbade her in her antics. No more did her wisdom take over her juvenile thoughts. Such a pity, but her soul was floating on cloud nine that no one could ever stop her from her new-found pleasure.
As she went on with her prancing and gliding—inadvertently, a secret door slid open. The door was camouflaged on the frescos that adorned the walls, making it invisible to the naked eye even with light.
She finally stopped, tilting her head in bewilderment at the magic that unraveled before her.
"What is that?" She wondered at the creaking sound the door made.
It was dark—pitch black as the dried well on eventide. But something was pulling her to go inside the uncharted territory.
"Should I—no." She faltered, reassessing her hunch.
But a whisper tingled her ear, forcing her with her decision to enter. "Enter—please." It told her.
"Enter. Enter? Should I be doing this?" She dithered once more.
"Please enter. Fair lady, you are most welcome here." The voice grew louder—compelling her again to step into the darkness.
The maiden paused, took a deep breath, and finally settled in with her decision. "So, it shall be." She bravely said, taking one step at a time towards the portal to uncertainty. So far, there was still little courage in her—latching to her core like the last virtue inside Pandora's jar.
As she reached the frame of the secret door, the opening grew wide—welcoming her as if it was some old friend who had waited for her return.
Once inside, it was ominous—more silent than in the previous room. Somehow, the maiden could see a faint outline of something illuminated by the light from the twinkling stars. She could make out of a table and nothing more.
"Is someone here?" She asked as she drew near to the object she just deciphered.
"Why—greetings, my beautiful one." A voice echoed, shaking her to her core. "Be not afraid. I am a friend."
"A—are you?" She doubted, shivering as the presence of the strange voice grew colossal—as if its hands stretched high, wanting to envelop her in a chamber of both mystery and haunting.
"Ha!" The voice laughed. "Of course I am. I am a friend. Oh, it is perfect to see your lovely face again. I hate to see those eyes drowsed in weakness and pain when I once gazed on it."
The lady swallowed a hard pit as she tried to fit in the scattered pieces of the puzzle in her head. She pondered what he said, wandering back into the misty past to see if such a voice rang some bells. But there was none. Not one of those blaring voices matched the baritone of her host. Did such an acquaintance ever happen? Was that presence her friend? If so, how come there were only images of fog and grays captured in her head? Not even a memory of family—if she had one.
"But how come I—I ca—cannot remember you?"
The voice sighed while eyes darted to her body that seemed to luster amidst the dimness. The voice chuckled, enjoying the sight of her as she stared blankly, waiting for a response.
"There is no need to remember me, my dear." He said. "The past is the past, and what is more important is the present. You and I, just in this room—two kindred spirits who only wanted to create a new memory."
She frowned at his words. "You are not making any sense at all. Please, tell me who you are."
Suddenly, the heavens bid the stars to twinkle no more. The stroke of light was gone. It was darkness again—pitch black as if you had taken your last breath. But then, a sudden flash of lightning struck across the skies with its sharp and rapid slash.
Thunder madly rolled after, shaking the room and causing the lady to cover her ears as the sound raptured her head.
She screamed, frightened from the surprise. Yet, a light tap on her head distracted her, and a hand took hers. She could feel the rough palm and the warmth it induced. Flabbergasted, she looked up to see the unknown, who dared to introduce her to its way of comfort. And as another lightning dashed, its light radiated through and revealed the man behind the voice.
His face was just inches before her. She could define his jawline was chiseled with precision, and his nose was prominent, but there were his eyes—what were supposed to be the windows to the soul—it was dark, hovered by a shadow that did not permit anyone to gaze on it. It was deep set, true to its hunter nature, but there was nothing for her to understand his real disposition.
He then smiled at her, unveiling some kind of chill that would nudged out her calm demeanor. However, his hand was soothing and warm as it continued to hold on to hers.
"Have I tickled your memory now?" He teasingly whispered, exhaling a hot breath that swirled in her face.
Despite seeing half of his face, there was still no memory of him. He was new—a stranger who forced himself into her for no reason.
"Not a scene of you has lingered in my head." She softly answered under his domineering breaths.
"I will not let go if there was still nothing. To give you a clue—our encounter was brief, though I sincerely adore it."
Her eyes never left his. She was still searching for that key to unlock her hidden bewilderment despite him pointing at her to look for the answer within her.
"Why point a finger when there were still three pointing back?" She asked herself. But the fates had her on the string again as she, out of the blue, blurted a name that seemed to satisfy her host. "A—Anubis?"
His grin glowed—glowering like the fangs of a jackal at night.
The rain poured heavily, deepening the gloom of the whole land. The breeze, which seeped its way through the cracks in the wall, had been pestering her skin, adding more dread to her soul.
The warmth from his hand was fighting the coldness that inhospitably draped around her. Unconsciously, she tightened her hold on him, clinging to a fall that vehemently made it known at the back of her head.
And her prediction was right—
A fire suddenly burst from an oil lamp on top of the table—brightly illuminating the whole room into a blinding spark. From this happening, the man then took her by the arms and threw her into a bed.
She gasped, understandingly panicking at his action.
He then crawled on top of her, pinning the poor maiden under his weight as he restrained her legs with his and taunted, "Kicking would not help, my sweet. Talking while standing bores me." He maniacally stated, even jesting as she wriggled uncomfortably from the touch of his skin. "No, no, no, my dear. Do not fear me."
"Get off of me!" She growled as she clenched her teeth.
"Shh—shh." He blew into her mouth, calming her as he felt the loud and hasty beating of her heart. "Calm down. No need to be in full anxiety. I told you—I am your friend."
The maiden, fair and mild, did calm down. She looked into his eyes, and her perspective had not changed—it was blank and dark despite his mouth wording a different circumstance as it spoke about being a benign acquaintance.
And so were his caresses as his hands began to study the curves of her body while eyes returned her astute glares. He was besotted—deeply enchanted upon staring down at her silver orbs. Something about it that wanted to hypnotize him, to bury him in its depths. The captured lady's eyes might be deep in fear, but the soul behind it was bewitching him—cursing him to the bone despite his being a willing victim.
"This is the best payment I have ever received. It took me no quest to convince Enyo to have you as my gift." He kissed her forehead and continued, "I desire to have you, Athena, to share my bed."
She blinked twice upon hearing such a name. "Athena?"
"Ha! Ha! Your name, my silly little prisoner." He confirmed.
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