"Hello, beautiful lady," a man's voice stopped her in her tracks. She felt something strange going on, the past shinning of the Old Madame's house was dimmed. There wasn't a good feeling anymore. Emma turned around and watched as two men approached her. They look up and down at her with a little smirk in their eyes. They seemed like the kind of dirty tugs that liked to pester the people in the town in name of their mafia boss. "What do you want?""Oh... don't be afraid, pretty lady," one of them, tall with a big body but with a terrible face, walked several steps forwards reaching out to her. However, Emma moved back swiftly as if she was not afraid of the stature of that man. The other man snickered, "did you see, bro? She isn't afraid of you...""Well, that is a first," the tall one responded with a little smirk, "come with me pretty lady, we can have some fun.""Don't get near me," Emma said with a fierce stare."Why not? We can have a good t

They lived without worries for that entire week, with no news about the mafia group nor their men. The old madame was still recovering in the hospital and afraid to return to her house though. Her younger daughter came to see her take her away from that town as quickly as she was informed. Her son, on the other hand, never showed up, no one knew where he went. However, it was almost like an illusion of safety. Quiet and calm in the streets, not many passersby, just dust and the clash on the windows. Everyone knew that the thugs will come, they had already waited a lot of time to unleash their attack. The residents and friends who had heard about the situation with the Larks were afraid to go to the restaurant; those days not many customers went to eat or even order some take-away. Only after the harsh efforts of Emma going around the neighborhood town to set a stand in the market, they were able to complete the rest of the money for that month. "Emma, my dear, you

The restaurant, which once was filled with chatters and laughter, was now echoing with silence. The few last days, the old elders kept it closed as it seemed that no one would enter the business for fear of the consequences, they will go to the neighbor town to sell some of their goods, though the journey there was a bit long."I will go out," Emma said after her training in her room. She had been having more progress in controlling her illusions, but it was not enough, she needed to test them. She came down the stairs and the two elders were already finishing preparing for the next day as they will go to a faraway market. "Is there something you need from the shop?""Darling, I thought you were already asleep," the old aunty came forward with a caring look, "you should go and sleep, you must be tired."Emma smiled, she knew that the old woman had seen her training, "I am fine, aunty, but I wish to take some fresh air now. There is something I want to test

The man let her stay in his lap for the rest of the journey. As they were moving around the roads, she noticed that they were leaving the small town and entering what seemed a base surrounded by tall trees and a metal fence."We will stay here, for the time being, my love," the man whispered and kissed her long hair. Emma didn't care as she was tired. For now, she shall pretend to agree with the man and his needs.She closed her eyes and slept without care. When she felt that he carried her to a room and into a bed, she let him caress her face as she succumbed to her dreams. Again, the man with the red eyes showed up. This time, however, the symbol on her ring appeared in the chest of the man as he was more intense in making love to her. He pulled her to his body and it was as if he was really there sharing his warmth. Emma didn't fight it, she wanted to see him, to touch him and remember when she wakes up in the morning. "Who... who are you?"She whispered as s

Night and thunder surrounded the castle; the tall towers of stone crumbled with the echoes of the wind hitting the walls and windows. Fear was easy to feel, anxiousness could invade the heart and soul of the weak, but the woman lying in the last room of the tower was still indifferent. The terror of residing on an earth that had been already taken over by murderous creatures didn’t make her succumb to shivers and sorrow.Even when strong golden chains gripped her fair porcelain legs, leaving painful red marks in the soft skin of her ankles, she didn’t care, nor did she make a whimper. The man who trapped her never unlocked them once from the first day he took her a year ago. He only watched as she sat on the floor with her back to the wall, occupying one corner of the room. Lonely and lost.His eyes were filled with more than desire, but a strong lo