Scene shift to lucian ravenswood ------
Amelia joining my office wasn't a coincidence. It was planned. Every detail of it. I told myself it was just another decision—practical, necessary. But somewhere deep down, I knew there was more to it. Something I didn't want to face.
And then… she met Cristina.
It was a simple introduction. A moment that should have meant nothing. But Amelia's gaze lingered on her for a second too long, as if she were quietly measuring her worth. Then she said it—softly, casually, "Just human."
The words were light. But the impact wasn't.
I saw it happen—that brief shift in Cristina's expression. So quick that anyone else would have missed it. But I didn't. A sharp flicker in her eyes… something fragile, something unspoken breaking for just a second before she pulled herself back together. Silently. Gracefully. Like it didn't hurt. Like she had already learned how to hide her pain.
For a moment, I almost said something. Almost stopped Amelia. Almost corrected her. Almost protected her.
But I didn't.
I choose silence.
And demons like me don't make mistakes like that by accident. That silence… said everything. Maybe that was the moment everything changed.
I told myself it was for the best. That distance would make things easier. So I created it myself.
"You'll start working in the library from now on."
My voice had been calm, professional, detached. Cristina didn't question it. Didn't hesitate. Didn't even look at me properly. She just nodded.
"Okay."
That was all. No argument. No emotion. Nothing. And just like that, she walked out of my space… and into a world where I no longer existed.
The library became hers. Days turned into weeks, weeks into months. Everything settled into a routine I had designed, but didn't fully understand. Every time I entered the library, I could feel her presence instantly. She was always there—same table, same quiet corner, surrounded by books, lost in her work.
But she never looked at me. Not once. Even when I stood close. Even when I spoke her name.
Her responses were always the same—"Yes, sir." "I'll handle it." "Is there anything else?" Polite, controlled, distant. Nothing more. No warmth, no hesitation. No trace of what once existed between us.
Amelia, on the other hand, stayed close. She moved through my world like she belonged there—confident, effortless, always beside me. She followed me into meetings, into long walks through the deeper parts of the library, into quiet corners where time felt slower. We spent hours together—talking, laughing—and somewhere along the way, we became something. A couple.
On the surface, everything was perfect. Exactly as it should have been.
So why did it feel incomplete?
There was always something missing. Something I couldn't name. Amelia was there—present, warm, real. But her presence never lingered after she left. Her absence never created silence.
And that's when I realized…
The silence already existed.
One day, something felt strange the moment I entered the office.
It wasn't obvious. Nothing had changed on the surface. Everything was exactly where it should be—
except her.
Cristina wasn't there.
For a second, I simply stood still, my eyes scanning the space again as if I had overlooked something. But no… her place remained empty.
It didn't make sense.
She was always present. Always on time. Predictable in ways that made her… reliable.
A quiet irritation rose within me—controlled, but immediate. I walked straight to David.
"Did Cristina come?"
"No… she didn't."
I frowned slightly. "That's not possible. You know she has to be here."
He nodded. "Yes, she has to be."
But something about it felt wrong.
A subtle pressure settled in my chest.
"What if something happened to her…"
The thought slipped out before I could stop it.
David dismissed it with ease. "No. Maybe she didn't sleep . Don't worry, she'll come tomorrow."
Tomorrow.
I nodded.
But it didn't sit right.
I returned to my cabin and tried to work.
Tried.
The documents in front of me blurred into nothing. My attention refused to stay where it was supposed to. It kept drifting—again and again—to the same absence.
Then Amelia walked in.
"Where is that human?" she asked casually.
"She didn't show up," I replied.
She shrugged. "Good. I don't want her to show up."
Something in me tightened instantly.
"Don't say that, Amelia," I said, my tone colder than I intended. "She's my employee… my responsibility. Stay out of this."
She looked at me, surprised. "I was just saying. Why are you getting angry?"
I didn't answer.
Because I didn't have one.
She softened, stepped closer, and wrapped her arms around me before sitting on my lap. "Sorry, baby."
But I wasn't there.
My mind had already drifted back—
to Cristina.
If she didn't want to work… she could have said it.
Then why didn't she?
Later, I stepped out with David toward Level 10. Amelia went her own way.
Everything looked normal.
But nothing felt normal anymore.
The next day, I walked into the office—and my eyes went to her place instantly.
Empty.
Again.
"Cristina…" I called out.
No answer.
This time, the irritation came faster. Sharper. Less controlled.
"I'll fire her when she comes," I said.
The words were steady.
But they didn't mean anything.
I couldn't focus—not on work, not on conversations, not even when I sat with David, Amelia, and Lydia. My mind refused to stay still.
It kept returning—
to the same thought.
What if something had happened to her?
I pushed it away.
Forced myself to believe something simpler.
She chose not to come.
That was all.
David glanced at me. "Don't think too much. It's common for employees to do this."
I nodded.
Tomorrow… I'll see her tomorrow.
I held onto that thought more than I should have.
On the third day, I walked in—
and she still wasn't there.
This time, I didn't stop to think.
I went straight to Alexander.
"Where is Cristina?"
He looked at me, confused. "I don't know."
That answer wasn't enough.
Cristina wouldn't just disappear like that.
Something was wrong.
And this time, I didn't ignore.
David came quickly, placing a hand on my shoulder.
"We'll find out what happened, okay? Just calm down."
I looked at him, my expression tightening.
"What if something has happened to her?"
He frowned slightly, but I didn't stop.
"It's been three days, David. Three days. She's not here."
My voice dropped, quieter… sharper.
" She wouldn't just disappear without a reason."
A pause.Then, steady. Dangerous."I will find out what it is.
and"How can I calm down?" I said. "I want to know. Whatever it takes."
David looked at me for a moment, then lowered his voice.
"There's a way… but it's risky."
"I don't care."
"Tell me."
"There's a head office chamber… next to our levels corridor chambers ," he said. "There's a book there. It can tell if someone is alive… or not."
Alive.
Or not.
The words didn't sit right.
Before I could think, I grabbed his collar.
"What are you saying, David? She can't be dead."
My grip tightened.
"She can't."
"Listen to me," he said firmly. "She will be okay. Just trust me. We will find out."
"I said let's go."
"Not now," he replied. "I'll tell you when and how. We have to go to the head office chamber."
Later, at our workplace—Level 10—everything looked normal. But nothing felt normal. I tried to focus on my work but my mind refused to stay still.
After a few minutes, David glanced at me. "Let's go."
We stepped out quietly. Lydia was already there.
I frowned. "You involved her?"
"Yes," David said. "She won't tell Amelia. Don't worry."
I exhaled slowly. "Fine. Handle this."
We went inside the place felt different. It was the head office chamber—quiet, ancient… almost untouched by time. Old wooden shelves covered the walls, filled with worn-out books, their pages yellowed with age. Large chairs and heavy tables stood in the center, surrounded by strange entity statues, jars filled with unknown substances, and symbols carved into the walls.
Silent.
Heavy.
We started searching.
Drawers. Shelves. Books.
Nothing.
Then David called my name.
"Lucian."
I turned and ran toward him. "Did you find something?"
He nodded.
A blue, ancient demonist book lay open on the table. He placed his hand over it, his voice low.
"Cristina."
Nothing happened. No name appeared. No sign.
A strange silence filled the room.
David suddenly grew restless, flipping pages, searching again.
I lost my patience. I grabbed him, my voice rising, "What happened to her, David? Tell me!"
But he pulled away. "Wait… I'm searching."
He picked up another book—a large red one.
Again, he whispered her name.
"Cristina."
Nothing.
I stared at him, confusion turning darker. "What's going on, David?"
Then slowly, I came back to myself.
He held my shoulders tightly.
"Listen carefully. She's not dead… but she's not alive either."
My mind went blank.
"I don't understand…" My voice felt distant, like I wasn't even there.
I looked at David—lost.
He stepped back suddenly and slapped me.
"Lucian, control your emotions!" he snapped. "Your eye color is changing—from red to purple. Come to your senses."
I froze… then forced myself to calm down.
Before I could say anything—
"Hurry! We have to go—now!"
Lydia's voice cut through everything.
David and I exchanged a quick look before rushing out of the chamber. The heavy door shut behind us with a dull echo. My heartbeat was loud, uneven… like something inside me already knew this wasn't over.
We didn't stop until we reached the Hell Garden.
The place was quiet… too quiet.
Dark, twisted trees surrounded us, their branches stretching like shadows across the ground. A cold wind passed through, carrying a faint whisper of something unknown. The air felt heavy—almost suffocating.
We sat in a corner, away from everything.
Just the three of us.
For a moment, no one spoke.
I ran my hand through my hair, trying to steady myself.
"Say it clearly, David. What do you mean she's not alive… and not dead?"
David exhaled slowly, his expression serious.
"It means… she's somewhere in between. Neither here… nor completely gone."
My jaw tightened.
"That doesn't make sense."
Lydia stepped forward, her voice low but firm.
"It means she's in between… neither dead nor alive. Something has happened to her. She's not in her senses."
David frowned slightly.
"You mean… something like her soul is out of her body?"
Lydia nodded.
"Maybe. Or maybe her body is alive, but she's not fully there. It could be an accident."
Silence fell again—tense and sharp.
"Let's go," Lydia said. "We need to see where she is."
David and I looked at each other.
"Where can we see?" we asked.
Lydia replied calmly,
"Through the mirror of the other side."
We both shook our heads.
"That's because not everyone has access," she said. "Come with me."
We followed her into her chamber.
She led us into a hidden section—a secret room. The atmosphere changed instantly. Cold. Still. The kind of silence that felt wrong.
In the center stood a circular wall filled with still water, like a mirror waiting to show something it shouldn't.
"Stay back," Lydia said.
She stepped forward, poured oil into the water, and lit small flames around it. Then she began chanting softly.
The air grew dense.
The water began to move.
Slowly… the image formed.
Cristina.
My gaze locked instantly.
She was lying on a hospital bed—weak, lifeless in a way that didn't sit right with me. Machines surrounded her, keeping her body functioning.
Something inside my chest tightened.
"Why is she like this?" I said, my voice low but sharp, my gaze fixed on her. "What happened to her?"
"I have to find out… I have to go to the human world. I'll go there—no matter what it takes."
David stepped forward immediately, his tone firm. "Lucian, we cannot interfere. The human world is beyond our reach."
I didn't respond. My attention never left her.
Cristina moved slightly.
Her eyes opened, just for a moment.
My focus sharpened instantly.
And then I saw them.
Three figures standing near her—two men and women .
"Maybe they're her friends," David said.
Lydia studied them carefully, her gaze analytical. "Or maybe… one of them is more than just a friend."
I spoke quietly, but with certainty. "One of them is Alexander."
David frowned. "But he claimed he doesn't know where she is."
A cold edge entered my voice. "Liar. Humans lie when it suits them."
My gaze shifted to the other men, lingering a moment longer than it should have.. Then Lydia spoke, her voice soft, almost observant. "He looks… concerned. And quite handsome—the one with blue eyes. There's something about him… calm."
I didn't react to her words. My expression stayed controlled, but my focus tightened, sharpening only on him.
"Arian," I said, the name leaving my lips cold and final.
Both of them looked at me, sensing the change, sensing the shift in the air around me.
"You know more than you should," Lydia said quietly. "Cristina must have trusted you."
I didn't answer.
Because my attention had already moved past her words… past everything.
To him.
To the way he looked at her.
Too close. Too familiar.
Like he understood her in a way that didn't belong to anyone else.
And then—
he touched her.
Arian stepped forward and, without hesitation, pulled Cristina into his arms like it was the most natural thing in the world, like she had always been meant to be there.
"I'll take care of you," he said.
Those words—
they shouldn't have mattered.
But they did.
Something inside me twisted, slow at first, then sharper… like a quiet storm building under control, not loud enough to break—but dangerous enough to destroy everything if it did.
My vision darkened slightly.
Not enough to lose control.
But enough to feel it.
David's voice came from beside me, cautious now. "Lucian…"
I didn't respond.
My eyes stayed fixed on them… on him… on the way he held her like it was effortless, like it was something he had done before…
My gaze darkened slightly, but my expression stayed controlled. Something inside me shifted—sharp, restless.
"Lucian…" David said carefully, his voice tense. "Your eyes have turned purple."
I didn't look at him. My focus remained locked ahead—on them. On him.
I could hear them speaking, but I wasn't really there with them anymore. My mind was somewhere else—fixed on Arian holding her, too close, too comfortably.
Why was he holding her like that?
Why was she allowing it?
Did she trust him…?
She had said he was just a friend… and yet—
The thought tightened inside me.
I almost lost her…
The idea alone sent a sharp, quiet pressure through me. Something I couldn't fully control anymore.
Then Lydia's voice broke through, louder this time. "Lucian, what is this?"
I frowned slightly. "What?"
"Your eyes," she said, her tone sharp now. "They're purple. Can you explain this?"
I hesitated for the briefest moment. "I don't know. It just… happened."
Lydia exchanged a look with David. "It only happens when Cristina is involved, right?"
David exhaled slowly. "Yes… that's exactly why I matched him to Amelia."
Lydia's expression changed instantly. "Great. So we have a bigger problem to deal with."
She turned to David, clearly irritated. "This is your fault."
David's eyes widened. "What do you mean? Why am I involved in this?"
"You knew this and never told me," Lydia snapped. "We've been here for centuries. And Lucian—he's not like us. He's younger."
David scoffed. "As if he listens to me anyway."
"Then you should have tried harder," Lydia shot back.
Their argument grew louder for a moment before David finally turned his attention back to me.
"Lucian, are you even listening?" he said sharply. "Because of you, we're fighting."
I finally spoke, my voice low but firm. "Then solve it. And tell me what I need to do."
Lydia and David exchanged another glance.
"This is serious, Lucian," Lydia said, her tone softer now but filled with concern. "We've never seen anything like this before yet .
David added, more gently, "We need to find out what's happening."
I shook my head slightly. "Don't worry. I'll handle it. You two don't need to get involved."
"No," they both said at once.
I looked at them then.
"We will," David said firmly. "You've already done too much for us—risked everything. You're family, Lucian."
"And we will die before we let anything happen to you," Lydia added quietly.
I exhaled slowly. "No one is dying, and I will not let you guys die, okay? You're overreacting," I said as I sat on the chair.
But they didn't move.
They didn't back down.
Then both of them came closer and sat with me, pulling their chairs.
"It's a secret," Lydia said firmly. "We will not let this conversation leave this chamber. Okay?"
I nodded slightly. "Yes, sure. Who would I tell?"
Deep down, I know something is changing in me. I don't have an answer to why my eyes are changing when Cristina is involved. What She did to me?
I feel something inside… when she is in pain, I can't see her like that.
And why am I getting so angry seeing that Arian with her?
Lydia and David stayed quiet, watching me, while I just sat there… trying to understand what I was becoming
I looked at them and said to myself, I have to find out and solve it myself—I can't involve these two.
David looked at me, his expression firm. "Don't you even think about solving this on your own. You always keep things to yourself."
Lydia nodded in agreement. "Yes. This time, we won't let you do that."
I raised my eyes slightly. "I didn't even say anything yet."
But inside my mind, I was already thinking…
I have to be careful and I can't let them get involved in this.
Then Lydia said, "I need to understand all of this. I'm going." David added, "I'm going too."
I watched them leave, and soon I stepped out as well, walking toward my home...
With every step, my thoughts kept drifting back to her—Cristina.
Tomorrow, she will come…
The thought tightened something inside me.
I couldn't let her be in that condition again. She needed to recover fast—I couldn't stand seeing her like that.
I had to take care of her… no matter what it took.
Because whatever was happening inside me…
was already beyond my control. I could feel it.
And yet—
I have to stay strong. I can't let this feeling show in front of Cristina. I have to hide this storm.
Let's wait for tomorrow..