The alarm on her phone was blaring as if threatening to explode if not turned off immediately.
Without opening her eyes, Seline fumbled around, trying to find the source of the hateful sound. After missing a couple of times, she finally found the phone and tapped the button.
"Just five more minutes... I want to sleep for at least five more minutes."
*Jingle *jingle *jingle *jingle
The alarm screamed again.
"Damn it all!" Seline opened her eyes, immediately found the phone, and turned off the annoying, irritating sound.
She quietly sat on the edge of the bed and tried to stretch, feeling at that moment like a fossil. Her arms and legs felt as if they'd been filled with concrete. She had slept poorly that night, waking up repeatedly.
Squinting, she focused her eyes on the phone screen.
7:10 AM.
Seline heaved herself out of bed and mechanically drew the curtains. Golden rays burst into the room. Sunlight flooded the space, chasing away the remnants of the night. The girl raised her palm, shielding herself from the brightness, and looked at the blue sky.
"Seems warm out there…"
She turned around and slowly trudged to the bathroom. The mirror greeted her with a reflection that made her flinch.
Pale skin. Slightly puffy eyelids. Hair, tangled and dull.
"Lovely…" she whispered sarcastically, running her fingers over her cheek.
Cold water was refreshing but didn't erase the heaviness.
In the kitchen, the smell of instant coffee mixed with the aroma of burnt toast. Celine placed the mug on the table and sank onto a chair.
The phone was in her hands again.
New notifications: 0
"Wasn't expecting any…" she muttered, but the corners of her lips twitched.
She took a sip of coffee.
"This is stupid. Need to think about classes, graduation is coming up soon… Time to pull myself together…" she decided aloud. Taking another sip of coffee, she stood up abruptly, making the chair creak plaintively, grabbed her backpack, walked to the front door, and stopped for a second.
Before opening the door, she paused at the mirror. The reflection stared back.
"Right. Today, I'm not thinking about him. He's not here."
She opened the door and went out.
Seline exited her building into the courtyard. The sun had already risen, and a warm ray touched her face. The girl squinted, trying to get used to the light.
"Did I lock the door…?" the thought flashed, but she immediately brushed it off. "Whatever, don't wanna go back…"
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Suddenly, her heart jolted, as if squeezed by strong fingers. But it wasn't pain. It was something else. Pleasant. Warm. For a moment, it seemed like everything around her was filled with a familiar, long-lost sensation, that a familiar scent had slipped into the air - the very one she had been so desperately searching for in her memories.
The air was still, but her hair suddenly stirred, as if touched by a breeze.
She spun around sharply and, beaming, cried out:
"Dan!"
But there was no one there. An empty street. Children laughing in the distance. Only her own echo. The smile instantly faded, her gaze dimmed. But still, a tiny, familiar warmth appeared in her chest. She clenched her fists on the backpack straps, snorted under her breath, and walked on.
"Stupid idiot… yelling like a madwoman… what would he even be doing here… I'm not thinking about you!"
Dan had been standing right across from her when she turned and called his name. But she couldn't see him; he was concealing his presence. Hearing her voice, he involuntarily took a step toward her, and it was then that a light breeze touched her gold hair.
"Forgive me…" Dan whispered soundlessly, watching her walk away.
He had wanted to see her one more time but didn't understand why himself. But at that moment, he felt both joy and sadness simultaneously. His coldness melted when he stood near her, but the realization that this time he was truly leaving and didn't know if he would return thickened his Darkness. Without ever figuring out his feelings, he dissolved into the air and vanished completely from the courtyard.
Meanwhile, Seline was already sitting at the bus stop, her head lowered, staring at the concrete cracked from moisture.
"I felt something… so familiar. As if he was standing right there… And even that smell… But how? He wasn't there. Again, I'm imagining things that aren't there…"
"Miss, you dropped this."
A cheerful voice tore her out of her inner world. Seline slowly looked up. A man was holding out her apartment keys.
"Keys?.." she thought indifferently.
She reached out to take them and inadvertently touched his fingers. She instantly pulled her hand back. "Ouch, it's... hot… No. I just can't stand being touched by strangers".
"Thanks," she said dryly and shoved the keys into her pocket.
"Ah, I wouldn't put them there again, they'll fall out," the man said with a light smirk. His voice was lively, almost sunny. But Celine didn't care.
She didn't answer.
Rin, sitting deep within Seline's shadow and still pondering his Master's strange appearance, quickly switched his focus to the unasked-for advice of the stranger. The look — good-natured, the smile — sincere. Even too much so. A human.
Although Rin was used to humans and rarely paid them extra attention, he decided to take a closer look at this do-gooder who had handed Celine her keys. But nothing unusual. No power, no danger.
Trying to discern an aura, Rin tensed—and to his surprise, saw absolutely nothing. As if no one was there at all.
"Hm… that's strange, I don't feel anything… an ordinary human… but… is he without an aura? No… that's impossible…" Rin stared directly into the man's face, trying to peer inside.
He looked even more intently. And for a moment, it seemed to him that somewhere behind that kind smile, something very familiar flashed. But the moment passed, and everything disappeared, as if it had never been.
The man smiled warmly, looking at the girl. In her eyes, he saw a deep void, burning hotter than any flame.
"Alrighty then, your choice. Have a good day!" he said and, waving his hand, dissolved into the crowd of passersby.
Alishem, the Lord of Flame, knew how to hide his Fire, and now he was doing it so skillfully that even Rin remained blind.
"Hm, why did he come to her? Is this the 'matter' he spoke of last night? But he hid himself and didn't even give a sign he was here. Just watched? Very strange. Okay, maybe I can find out something from him in person. This girl… a mortal… interesting", thought Alishem, looking at Seline's downcast eyes.
Although Alishem was starting to suspect something, he was still a Lord, and human feelings were as alien to him as they were to Dan. So he didn't particularly delve into their relationship.
"A Lord and a human? - Ha, what nonsense". And he walked on.
"Weeell, what a great day today!" Alishem announced this to everyone walking nearby.
Drop next chapter immediately?