04||~ Enid.

04||~ Enid.

~~~~

I don’t smell the fire. I don’t smell anything, but my body remembers the orange flame licking at the walls of the once beautiful house I have spent only a day in.

My hold on Adrrik's neck tightens as I try not to think of what else the fire can burn. We need to get out of here.

Fast.

“Hold this to your nose." Adrrik hands me a wet cloth, and I quickly take it and cover my nose with it.

He makes his way to the kitchen instead of using the front door. There's more flame here. I want to ask him why he doesn't take the door, but now's not the time.

The house grows hotter and hotter the more we stay in, I can hear Adrrik's harsh breath as his feet thump against the floor.

The flame is everywhere, from the floor to the ceiling, everything is ablaze.

“We shouldn't be passing here." Adrrik doesn't reply as he tries to navigate through the flame to get to the door.

Hot bead of sweat rolls down our foreheads, the kitchen counter has a chuck of it burnt, the walls are now black and smoky. 

Adrrik groans when he touches the door knob, My eyes widen at the burnt mark on his hand. At this rate, we might both get killed. I removed the wet cloth he had given me. “Use this." My word comes out cracked.

Adrrik takes it and wraps it around the door, we are out, he carries me as far from the house as he can.

Then he lays me on the grass and turns his back to me, while I cough, trying to take in as much air as possible.

Fuck! That hurts.

My watery eyes shift to his broad back as he watches the house burn, jaw clenched. “W… what are we going to do now?” I question him.

The house is too far from civilization to get firefighters here now, and even if they arrive soon, we won't be able to get anything out. 

Adrrik sends me a glance. 

Eyes as cold as stone, the unfathomable yet dangerous glint in his eyes makes me want to shrink into the grass. “Find whoever did this." He begins." And make them pay.” 

Then he walks away, leaving me there alone. 

Soon he returns. “On your feet, we are leaving." That's all he says, I force myself to my feet, arms wrapped around myself, only just realizing that I am in nothing but my oversized t-shirt.

The flame from the house casts a glow on him as he walks ahead of me, even after two years.

Adrrik looks the same, acts the same.

While I have changed so much, it's almost like magic… or a curse.

From a star ballerina, to a dreamless waiter. 

I shake my head, walking faster to catch up. Thankfully, his personal parking lot is untouched, so we are able to get a car.

Adrrik opens a hidden compartment in his car and brings out a burner phone. I lay my head on the glass window as he calls. Whoever it is picks it up immediately. “My house has been set ablaze." His voice is surprisingly calm, despite his tight grip on the steering wheel.

Whatever the person says on the other side, Adrrik replies with. “Find the ublyudok who did it and bring them to me.” 

Then he hangs up. 

I look ahead as he turns on the ignition and the car begins to move. The further we get from the house, the more Adrrik increases speed, my stomach churns.

I try to keep it in, to avert my gaze from the road, to hold onto something, but the thought of being in the car at night alone makes my breath rasp.

My hand grips my inner thigh, nails digging into it. 

Despite how much I feel like vomiting, I manage to hold it in till the car stops in the parking lot, Adrrik steps out and I follow suit, intending to find somewhere to throw up.

However, the moment my leg touches the ground, it wobbles, without warning, I drop to the floor like a bag of sacks. Feeling utterly weak.

Adrrik, who has almost gotten to the elevator, glances back and notices me. His face changes, eyes glaring at me with irritation. “Stand up." He commands. 

I try to force myself to my feet. But I can't. He strides over to me and snatches me from the floor. Adrrik carries me all the way through the hotel, straight to a penthouse house, walking like he owns the place. 

He places me on the couch and turns to the door. “You are leaving?" I question him before I can stop myself. 

“Yes, and you are staying here." 

“I can come with you." My eyes scan the huge penthouse. “You won't leave me here after all that will you? What if someone attacks me or the house catches fire again?" 

“Then you will have to protect yourself." He glares at me. "I don't need a weak woman clinging to me.” His words slice through me. “If you can't even protect yourself from a little loneliness, then you don't deserve to be my bride." 

I want to reply to him, but he doesn't even wait to see the effect of his words on me.

I lay back on the couch, feeling utterly drained and stupid.

Just a day and it feels like my whole life form has been drained of its strength. Can I really do this? His life is dangerous and I am just a broken ballerina trying to piece her life together.

This bloody life was never for me.

Maybe I should just leave. Maybe I should ask for a divorce. But what about Papa? And Ember? I can't be selfish, I can't think of myself alone.

___

I smell roses, my body is held tightly in a warm embrace, I snuggle into it, moaning softly at how safe it feels. 

It takes a while but my eyes flutter open to the ceiling. I stare at it for the longest time.

Too drained to think.

God knows I just want to sleep and never wake up but my sleep never lasts too long, the one at the house was a surprise. 

After getting back a little bit of my strength, I force myself up the bed. My eyes rakes over the unfamiliar room with dark grey walls. Is this still the penthouse? I don't remember leaving the living room. “i wonder if he's back." 

My head is dizzy and the space feels like it's moving. The sight my eyes see when I walk out of the door makes my jaw drop.

Rolls and rolls of seats arranged in an ascending order. From the window outside, I realize I am in a plane?

 Oh shit! 

My eyes searches around for Adrrik, heart pounding. “How did I get here?" 

Different scenarios fill my head, each worse than the other.

Has his enemy finally got to me?

~P-Lia~