"Who?" I frowned, looking at him like he had lost it. "What are you talking about? You are making me worried."
He looked around before his gaze fixed on me. "The one you have been waiting for is about to wake up. It's almost time for him to do that."
"Oh? That's wonderful!" I smiled. It was here, at last, the reason I came over to this place. "Can you take me to him? Or do we have to wait for him to wake before you do that?" I know I sounded eager, but you couldn't fault me for that.
This was why I came over here. Hearing I was closer to my death was the best news ever. I was unable to conceal my eagerness.
"You still wish to die?" Frowning, he took a step away from me. "I… I thought we had something going on, something that would make you want to stay with me."
"I —"
"It's not too late, Sara. I can hide you in a place he wouldn't see you. All you have to do is to survive the night, and we will —"
"I'm not hiding from him." I placed my hands on his cheeks and rose on tiptoes to place a kiss on his nose. "It would have been better if I met you before I embarked on this journey. It's too late now. I have already decided about this. I want to meet him."
Athan's expression crumbled. He took a step back, opening and closing his mouth, but no sound left.
"Athan —"
"Since I can't change your mind, I wish you luck in whatever you plan to do." He turned his back to me and raced down the hall without saying a word more. He didn't even tell me how the hell I was supposed to meet the other king.
Yeah. And that was me thinking we had something going on.
Sighing, I started retracing my steps back to the palace, only to realize something. The palace was a ducking maze. I couldn't find my way to the kitchen either. And let's not forget the garden. I was lost, stranded in the corridor with no idea of how to leave.
There was no one around to ask for directions, and the one who brought me out here was nowhere to be seen.
I tried to open the doors in the hallway I found myself in, but all of them were fucking locked! From the beginning of the hallway to the end. I didn't dare venture into the corridor by the right of the one I was standing in because that one was pitch black. There were cobwebs at the beginning, hinting at how long it must have been since someone went there.
It wasn't farfetched, though. With just Athan in the palace, there were places he couldn't go all the time.
A feeling of dread crept up my spine as I realized I was lost in the mansion. As I walked, the silence was oppressive, weighing heavily on my shoulders. I strained my ears, desperate to hear any sound that might guide me out. But there was nothing. No birdsong, no rustling of leaves, just an eerie stillness.
Yeah, it wasn't difficult to know I was lost, in the maze disguised as halls.
But then, I heard it.
A low, rumbling noise, seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time, reverberating on the walls. The sound sent shivers down my spine, making my skin crawl.
My heart raced as I spun around, trying to locate the source of the noise. But it was impossible to pinpoint. The noise seemed to be everywhere, echoing off the walls.
Panic set in, and my breath caught in my throat. I tried to run, but my legs felt heavy as if rooted to the spot. The noise grew louder and more ominous, and I knew I had to move.
I forced myself to take a step forward, then another, my eyes scanning the hallway for any sign of escape. But the noise seemed to close in, getting nearer and louder.
Fear gripped me, threatening to consume me whole. I was trapped, alone and vulnerable, with no way out. Suddenly, the hallway fell silent. The stillness was oppressive, more terrifying than the noise itself. I knew I wasn't alone, and that thought sent icy fear coursing through my veins.
Placing my hand over my chest, I tried to regulate my breath.
"And who do we have here?"
My heart almost jumped out of my chest as I spun around at the sound of the voice, only for my expression to clear when I realized who it was.
"Athan?" I took a step towards him, smiling to ease the fear that once clung to me like a second skin. "So you realized you left me alone in this maze-like place, right? Tell me, was it funny to place such a sick joke on me? Do you know how fucking scared I was?"
However, the smile on my face vanished when I noticed his eyes. Athan's eyes were blue, not red. The one standing in front of me had red fucking eyes.
A gasp left my lips as I drew a step back. The man looked like Athan. He had the same hair, the same height, and was even wearing the same fucking clothes. The only difference was the eyes.
His lips went up in a sadistic grin as he watched me take some steps back. "Don't tell me you are scared, human?" His voice was rough, not as gentle as Athan's. It sounded like the rumble of thunder on a stormy night.
"Who are you? Where is Athan? What have you done to him?" I took another step back, wondering what was going on. I had to pinch myself to be certain I wasn't making anything up. "Why do you look like him?"
He tilted his head to the side, watching me with keen eyes. He didn't walk over to me like I thought he would. Instead, his smirk became more pronounced. "I'm Rythanasios Vasileios. You must have met him, Athanasios Vasileios."
"Are you guys brothers?" I gasped at the realization. Since they looked so alike, they could be twins! Little wonder Athan was speaking about the other like that. "You are the demon lord?" I stopped, taking a step back, realizing I was finally meeting the man I was looking for.
"The demon lord?" He chuckled at that. "What other names are you humans going to give to me next? Each of the maidens has a different name for me. What a funny concept."