"Just what," said Ellie warily, "are you playing at?"
Apollo drew nearer, fixing his intense gaze upon her. Ellie drew back uneasily as he leaned in closer and closer, until she could smell his aftershave. He smelled good, although Ellie would rather die before she'd admit this to him. She couldn't quite put her finger on what he smelled like, though. It was like smelling an exotic spice, something foreign and novel. And it was good. More than good, actually. Ellie closed her eyes and breathed in.
"Who said this is a game, Ellie?" Apollo rasped as he reached a hand to caress her cheek. Ellie flinched at his touch. His hand was cold, like ice. Her eyes snapped open and she was pulled back into reality - just what the heck was she doing? Damn it, what was he doing to her?
Pheromones, she thought disgustedly. Damn animal.
"Stop," she muttered. "Now."
Apollo just stared at her. A bemused smile crossed his features as he spoke.
"Really, milady?" he mused. "And there I thought you were having fun."
"Creep," Ellie hissed. "I want my clothes back."
"Well, that's too bad because I burned them."
"What? Why?"
"Let's just say mortal filth is bad for the Outer Arc," said Apollo. "And we'll leave it at that. But for now ..."
Ellie felt the air around them lose its moisture. For some reason, the atmosphere began to dry, becoming not unlike that of a desert at night. The air became so dry, she found herself coughing as her lungs tried to adapt to the sudden dry spell. In the same instant, she could see tiny droplets of water beginning to form in the air, getting bigger and bigger little by little. And the droplets seemed to solidify, forming what looked like tiny crystals suspended in the air. Was Apollo doing this? She had to wonder as she reached out to touch one of the crystal-like things. It reflected to dim lights well, sparkling like fragments of glass.
Just as she was about to ask Apollo what kind of magic trick he was playing on her, some of the crystals had levitated to her, coming to rest around her neck and forming a chain around it. Startled, Ellie poked at it tentatively, surprised to see that the crystals had formed quite a lovely necklace.
"A gift," Apollo clarified as she looked up at him and gave him a questioning look. "From the Crown Prince of the Outer Arc."
"I don't want it," Ellie argued. "Take it back."
Apollo was about to reply when his cellphone rang. Irked, he turned away from her and answered the phone. He talked for a few minutes, discussing something Ellie wasn't even sure of. And by the time he had finished, Ellie was quite confused about the situation at hand.
"We'll be right there," Apollo murmured to the person on the other end of the line, just before hanging up. Replacing the device in his pocket, he gazed at Ellie and said, "Time to go. The Outer Arc awaits."
Moments later, Ellie found herself seated at the front of Apollo's car, somewhat relieved that they weren't in a closed room alone. She had that to be grateful for, at least.
"Ellie."
Ellie who? a voice in his head asked.
"Good question," Eduard mumbled to himself. His head was pounding and his entire body felt strange. He felt as if he was on fire, as if he was being swallowed up by its heat. God, was this how guilt felt like? He shouldn't have left his family in the burning house. He should have at least tried to save them, even if there was no way out.
"Damn," he cursed.
As he paced down the desolate road, something slammed into the side of his head, hard. It made his headache worsen; his entire body was ringing with pain. Cursing and swearing, he tried to get his bearings again. He caught sight of a basketball at his feet, and as he turned to one side, he could see a group of figures arguing at the little basketball court not so far from the playground.
"Hey, throw us the ball," one of the figures called out. "C'mon, dude, we want to play."
"What the fuck," Eduard muttered as he strode over to the group of boys and lobbed the ball in the direction of them.
"Thanks, mate," said another boy, one with jet black hair and tan skin. "Say, would you like to join our game?"
Game? Eduard wondered. But well, what the heck; his head was killing him. He needed to focus on something other than this weird day. He hesitated for a moment, wondering what harm could possibly come from playing a little basketball?
"Sure," he muttered as he forced a smile. Damn that headache. "Why not?"
As he joined the group of boys, he pushed back whatever supposedly important thought he had been having just moments ago into the farthest reaches of his mind. He didn't need all of that right now, thank you. He simply needed to take his mind off this unsettling day.
You fucked up murderer, he thought. Your family is dead and yet here you are having fun and games. That's just so cruel, Mr Hunter. That's by far way disturbing. So congratulations, you monster.
Apollo drew nearer, fixing his intense gaze upon her. Ellie drew back uneasily as he leaned in closer and closer, until she could smell his aftershave. He smelled good, although Ellie would rather die before she'd admit this to him. She couldn't quite put her finger on what he smelled like, though. It was like smelling an exotic spice, something foreign and novel. And it was good. More than good, actually. Ellie closed her eyes and breathed in.
"Who said this is a game, Ellie?" Apollo rasped as he reached a hand to caress her cheek. Ellie flinched at his touch. His hand was cold, like ice. Her eyes snapped open and she was pulled back into reality - just what the heck was she doing? Damn it, what was he doing to her?
Pheromones, she thought disgustedly. Damn animal.
"Stop," she muttered. "Now."
Apollo just stared at her. A bemused smile crossed his features as he spoke.
"Really, milady?" he mused. "And there I thought you were having fun."
"Creep," Ellie hissed. "I want my clothes back."
"Well, that's too bad because I burned them."
"What? Why?"
"Let's just say mortal filth is bad for the Outer Arc," said Apollo. "And we'll leave it at that. But for now ..."
Ellie felt the air around them lose its moisture. For some reason, the atmosphere began to dry, becoming not unlike that of a desert at night. The air became so dry, she found herself coughing as her lungs tried to adapt to the sudden dry spell. In the same instant, she could see tiny droplets of water beginning to form in the air, getting bigger and bigger little by little. And the droplets seemed to solidify, forming what looked like tiny crystals suspended in the air. Was Apollo doing this? She had to wonder as she reached out to touch one of the crystal-like things. It reflected to dim lights well, sparkling like fragments of glass.
Just as she was about to ask Apollo what kind of magic trick he was playing on her, some of the crystals had levitated to her, coming to rest around her neck and forming a chain around it. Startled, Ellie poked at it tentatively, surprised to see that the crystals had formed quite a lovely necklace.
"A gift," Apollo clarified as she looked up at him and gave him a questioning look. "From the Crown Prince of the Outer Arc."
"I don't want it," Ellie argued. "Take it back."
Apollo was about to reply when his cellphone rang. Irked, he turned away from her and answered the phone. He talked for a few minutes, discussing something Ellie wasn't even sure of. And by the time he had finished, Ellie was quite confused about the situation at hand.
"We'll be right there," Apollo murmured to the person on the other end of the line, just before hanging up. Replacing the device in his pocket, he gazed at Ellie and said, "Time to go. The Outer Arc awaits."
Moments later, Ellie found herself seated at the front of Apollo's car, somewhat relieved that they weren't in a closed room alone. She had that to be grateful for, at least.
"Ellie."
Ellie who? a voice in his head asked.
"Good question," Eduard mumbled to himself. His head was pounding and his entire body felt strange. He felt as if he was on fire, as if he was being swallowed up by its heat. God, was this how guilt felt like? He shouldn't have left his family in the burning house. He should have at least tried to save them, even if there was no way out.
"Damn," he cursed.
As he paced down the desolate road, something slammed into the side of his head, hard. It made his headache worsen; his entire body was ringing with pain. Cursing and swearing, he tried to get his bearings again. He caught sight of a basketball at his feet, and as he turned to one side, he could see a group of figures arguing at the little basketball court not so far from the playground.
"Hey, throw us the ball," one of the figures called out. "C'mon, dude, we want to play."
"What the fuck," Eduard muttered as he strode over to the group of boys and lobbed the ball in the direction of them.
"Thanks, mate," said another boy, one with jet black hair and tan skin. "Say, would you like to join our game?"
Game? Eduard wondered. But well, what the heck; his head was killing him. He needed to focus on something other than this weird day. He hesitated for a moment, wondering what harm could possibly come from playing a little basketball?
"Sure," he muttered as he forced a smile. Damn that headache. "Why not?"
As he joined the group of boys, he pushed back whatever supposedly important thought he had been having just moments ago into the farthest reaches of his mind. He didn't need all of that right now, thank you. He simply needed to take his mind off this unsettling day.
You fucked up murderer, he thought. Your family is dead and yet here you are having fun and games. That's just so cruel, Mr Hunter. That's by far way disturbing. So congratulations, you monster.
