3

Something under the church

The scream dragged sliver out of her sleep. Her eyes snapped opened instantly. For few minutes, She forgot where she was. Then lightening flashed through the bedroom windows, showing the unfamiliar stone walls around her.

The church. Her stomach sank as another scream echoed faintly through the floor under her. a woman. Fear prickled across sliver skin instantly, she sat up slowly in bed listening carefully for the voice.

Silence followed.

Only rain hitting against the windows, maybe she imagined it or maybe exhaustion was finally making her lose her mind. she rubbed her cheeks tiredly before swinging her legs over the side of her bed. The room was strangely warm inside despite the huge storm outside. she turned and saw that someone had left folded dryed clothes on the chair near the fire place sometime during the night.

Black sweater with loose pants.

Her soaked wedding dress was gone, that realization hit her more than it should have. Instead, her attention remained fixed on the floor under her feet. Another muffed sound.

not any woman voice screamed this time but voices, low male voices. her heart sank down further, something was happening downstairs. Azuka warning echoed through her head immediately with her mind screaming “ do not go outside or downstairs”, which already means that she was going downstairs.

sliver slipped quietly out of her new bed and crossed the room slowly. The bedroom door opened without resistance this time around.

Not locked any more? she murmured.

sliver looked outside, the hallway outside was very dark except for scartted candles shaking against the ancient stone like walls. Shadows stretched unnaturally across the floor, making the church look and feel less like a church more like a weird looking maze.

The air smelled like smoke and something metallic under it. she moved carefully towards the stair case, with her every step creaking softly under her bare feet. The voices she heard earlier became more clearer the more she went down.

Males voices.

Arguing about something.

“…..shipment arrives tomorrow night”

“we already lost two girls”

“that wasn’t my fault man”

sliver blood turned cold. Girls?. she stopped halfway down the stairs. The church below looked different at night. Darker and more dangerous. The candles near the alter was already burning out, leaving only particles of candle, light shaking across the massive room. Near the back wall, a door stood slightly open with dim light flashing from inside.

The voices came from there. she should probably go back upstairs, immediately instead she moved closer. Curiosity and fear twisted together punding painfully inside her chest. The open doorway led into a narrow stone hall way hidden behind the church walls. sliver waited for few seconds before slipping inside.

The temperature dropped instantly, cold air wrapped around her as she walked deeper underground. The hall way long endlessly ahead, lowly lit light bulbs hanging on the celling. Rusted pipes up on the celling with water dripping somewhere nearby. Then she noticed it.

Blood.

Dark stained marked parts on the floor, her breathing became hard. What was this place? Another voice echoed almost near her but angry this time.

“you think tarente will protect you this time around?” a woman cried softly. sliver froze, the sound came from a heavy metal door, down the corridor. her heart began beating violently against her ribs, they were more breathing people down here.

Girls?.

Sliver took another step forward to see more, suddenly a hand wrapped around her wrist. she gasped sharply before being pulled backward hard, so much that her body slam against a wall. Pain shot through her shoulder as a large body suddenly trapped her instantly.

“didn’t I tell you not to wander?”

Azuka.

His voice was dangerously sharp. sliver pulse quickened wildly as she looked up at him softly. He looked furious, not loud fury, worse controlled anger. The kind barely contained under the surface. Dark clothes ,sharp eyes with tension running ; carved into every line of the skin body.

She swallowed hard thinking of what to say cause he already warned her about snopping around.

“ I heard screaming-“

“And the first thought was following the sound alone here sound very intelligent?”

“I just wanted to help” She saw something cold flashed across his face after the words left her lips

“you truly don’t know where you are, do you?” he said with his hand still around her wrist.

Soft

Cold

Very dangerous

For few seconds, Sliver felt how insanely close he was to her body. His chest pressed against her's, the lightly dim underground lighten exposing every shape of his face. And his lips--- ah god, those lips looked more tempting down here.

Another screamed echoed from behind the metal door nearby making sliver flinched.

Azuka noticed.

She saw his jaw tightened.

“go back upstairs”

“no” She muttered. The word took them both by surprise, silence stretched between them. sliver felt his grip on her wrist tightened quickly.

“you don’t belong here, sliver”

Hearing him call her name did something strange to her chest. she hated it instantly. “who are they? Why am I hearing people screaming? What are behind those doors?” she demanded.

Zuka stared at her for long seconds. Then his eyes moved towards the dark hall behind her, like he was thinking, calculating every thing. Finally he exhaled slowly “the type of demons your family pretends to you that doest exist.

“what does that mean?” she asked confused.

His eyes darkened, his face twisted like he was irritated.

“you ask too many annoying questions for someone hiding in my church”

Sliver anger sparked immediately.

“maybe because I woke up trapped inside your dark ugly underground prison!” before she could react more, Azuka suddenly stepped closer.

Too close.

One large hand against the wall beside her head, caging her completely. The air disappeared from her lungs.

“you think this is prison” he chuckled softly, his voice lowered slowly.

“you haven’t seen my main prison yet”

Fear slid slowly down sliver spine, not because he shouted at her but because he didn’t. the hallway felt smaller right now, the scent of smoke and expensive cologne engulfed her completely. she should push him away

Instead she couldn’t, just staring at his handsome face. Azuka noticed.

Of cause he would noticed. she saw something unreadable flashed across his face, suddenly—

Foot steps began echoing down the hall till a man appeared from the dark hall wearing black on black clothing. He stopped immediately he sighted them.

“theres a problem upstairs” he told azuka quickly.

Azuka eyes never left her's.

“take her back to her room”

“I can walk back myself, am not crippled” sliver snapped.

The corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

Like he was amused.

Almost?.

Then his expression hardened again. “the next time you disobey me” he said quietly, “I wont be the one who finds you first”

A chill sweat dripped down Sliver chin

Because somehow, that sounded less than a threat

And more like a warning.’