Liana and Damien
The city lights shimmered over the quiet lake, their reflections swaying gently with the breeze. Liana leaned against the wooden railing of the lakeside restaurant's balcony, staring out at the dark water. She let out a soft sigh, feeling Damien's presence before he even touched her.
"You're thinking too much again," Damien murmured, stepping beside her. His voice was low, teasing, but there was an underlying warmth that made her chest tighten.
Liana tilted her head to look at him. "And you think too little."
Damien chuckled, sliding a hand into the pocket of his jacket. "Maybe. Or maybe I just know when to enjoy the moment." His eyes flickered to hers, holding her gaze in a way that sent a slow, delicious shiver down her spine.
She swallowed. "And is this... one of those moments?"
Damien didn't answer with words. Instead, he reached out and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, his fingertips lingering against her skin.
"Yeah," he finally whispered. "It is."
Liana's heart skipped a beat. She had always admired Damien's confidence, his charm, but right now, he wasn't just being playful. There was something deeper in his expression—something unguarded.
The thought terrified her.
"I don't know how you do it," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Do what?"
"Make me feel safe."
A shadow flickered across Damien's face, just for a second, before his usual smirk returned. "That's easy, sweetheart. I just don't let anything hurt you."
Liana felt warmth spread through her chest, but it wasn't enough to chase away the doubts that gnawed at her. "And what if I'm the one who ends up hurting you?" she murmured, afraid of the answer.
Damien exhaled slowly. "Then I'll let you," he said, before taking her hand.
Liana's breath hitched. She hadn't realized how cold her fingers were until they were wrapped in his warmth.
"You're such an idiot," she whispered, squeezing his hand, and for the first time in a long time, she smiled—really smiled.
Damien grinned. "And you like me anyway."
Before she could deny it, he closed the space between them, his lips brushing softly against hers. It wasn't rushed, wasn't desperate—just a slow, intoxicating moment that felt like sinking into warmth after standing in the cold too long.
Liana melted into him, her fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt as she kissed him back.
The world around them faded.
For now, there was only Damien.
And for the first time in what felt like forever, she let herself believe that maybe—just maybe—she could have this.
*******
Ethan
The house was silent. A dim, golden glow from the bedside lamp cast soft shadows across the room. Venecia lay curled beneath the sheets, her breathing deep and even, unaware of the predator lurking in the doorway. Ethan's lips curled into a smirk. So vulnerable. So easy.
He had been watching them for days, waiting for the perfect opportunity. Romeo was always at her side—always touching, always protecting—but tonight, for the first time, he was alone with her. The second Romeo had stepped out for groceries, Ethan had moved. Now, standing in her room, he felt his pulse slow, steady anticipation humming in his veins.
"Venecia, you always run. But not this time". He took a step forward. Then another.
A floorboard creaked. Venecia stirred, her brows pinching together in sleep. Ethan froze.
"Not yet", he whispered.
He exhaled slowly and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small vial. A mixture he had prepared himself—one that would leave her too weak to fight, but not enough to harm her. It had to be perfect. He couldn't risk Romeo sensing something was wrong too soon. Kneeling beside the bed, Ethan gently brushed a strand of hair from her face. His fingers lingered, memorizing the softness of her skin, the warmth of her breath against them.
A sick sort of satisfaction curled in his chest. "She's mine. She always has been." Venecia's eyes fluttered open. Confusion. Then panic. Her lips parted to scream— But Ethan was faster. He clamped a hand over her mouth, forcing the damp cloth against her nose. "Shhh," he whispered, his voice almost tender.
"It'll be over soon." Venecia thrashed, her legs kicking wildly, but the drug worked fast. Within seconds, her limbs went slack, her movements sluggish. Her eyes, wild with terror, locked onto his. Ethan smiled. "That's it, darling. Just sleep." Her lashes fluttered. Her body trembled once—twice—then stilled completely. Ethan exhaled, savoring the moment. Then, with practiced ease, he gathered her limp body into his arms and slipped into the night. By the time Romeo returned, the house would be empty.
And Venecia—Venecia would be his.
**********
Romeo moved through the dimly lit streets, his heart pounding with a restless urgency. Something felt off—an unshakable weight settled in his chest like a premonition. He had been gone for barely an hour, yet an unnatural anxiety clawed at him. Venecia. He needed to get back to her.
"Romeo." The voice slithered through the night, stopping him in his tracks. He turned, finding Eleanor leaning against a sleek black car, her arms crossed, her lips curled into a smirk. He stiffened immediately. "What do you want?" Eleanor took slow, deliberate steps toward him, her heels clicking against the pavement.
"You're looking for Venecia, aren't you?" Romeo's breath hitched. His instincts screamed at him to walk away, but the way Eleanor's eyes glinted in the darkness unsettled him. "She's in danger," Eleanor whispered, stepping closer. "I know where she is." His entire body locked up. "You're lying." Eleanor tilted her head, eyes filled with an eerie amusement.
"Am I?" She pulled out her phone and flashed a blurred image—a dark room, the silhouette of a figure tied to a chair. "See for yourself." A sharp chill ran down Romeo's spine. "Where is she?" Eleanor sighed dramatically. "I'll take you to her, but I can't be seen with you. Get in." She motioned to the car.
Every fiber of his being screamed that this was a trap. But if there was even the slightest chance that Venecia was in danger, he had no choice. Grinding his teeth, Romeo slid into the passenger seat. The moment the door shut, the scent hit him—something faint yet sickly sweet, coating the air inside the car. Romeo frowned, his vision momentarily blurring.
"What the—" His body suddenly felt heavy. His limbs tingled, then went numb. Panic surged in his chest. "What did you do—?" Eleanor leaned closer, her fingers trailing over his jaw, her voice a soft hum of amusement. "Just something to help you relax, darling." His vision swam. His muscles refused to obey him. He tried to move, but his body felt detached, foreign. Eleanor smirked. "You men are so easy."
Darkness took him.
*********
A slow, pulsing headache dragged Romeo back into consciousness. The air was thick, suffocating. He tried to move, but his wrists were bound. What the hell— He forced his eyes open, the dim glow of candlelight flickering against deep red walls. He was in a bedroom. A bedroom.
And Eleanor was standing at the foot of the bed. She had changed into a silk robe, the thin fabric clinging to her curves. A victorious smirk played on her lips as she twirled a glass of wine between her fingers. "Finally awake?" she purred. Romeo's body felt sluggish, his limbs still weak from whatever drug she had used. His pulse pounded as realization set in.
"Where is Venecia?" His voice was hoarse. Eleanor clicked her tongue, setting the glass down. "Still thinking about her? How loyal." She trailed a manicured finger along the edge of the bed. "But it's time to let her go." Romeo clenched his fists. "I will never—" "You will," Eleanor interrupted, voice dripping with certainty.
"You see, Romeo, your connection with her is unnatural. A curse. And I have a way to break it." His stomach twisted. Eleanor moved closer, sliding onto the bed beside him. "If you want to save yourself, all you have to do is give in. Give in to me." Romeo's jaw clenched as she straddled his lap, pressing herself against him. His pulse thundered in his ears, not from desire—but rage.
She leaned closer, her breath warm against his ear. "You and I could be perfect together," she whispered. "All you have to do is let go of her." His muscles tensed. He would never betray Venecia. Eleanor sighed, feigning disappointment. "Still resisting?" Her fingers trailed down his chest, her nails scraping slightly. "I wonder how long that will last."
Romeo's breathing turned ragged as the drug continued to cloud his mind. Eleanor's fingers moved lower, but his thoughts burned with one name—Venecia. He had to get out. Before it was too late.
The moment Eleanor's hands moved lower, something snapped inside Romeo. A violent, primal force tore through his veins, igniting every nerve in his body. A sudden boom echoed through the room.
The air rippled—like a pressure wave exploding outward. Eleanor was flung off of him, crashing into the wall with a sickening thud. Romeo's breathing turned ragged. His chest heaved. His wrists, once bound, shattered through their restraints. His hands trembled as a dark, crackling energy danced across his skin—tendrils of shadow coiling around his fingers like living entities.
The drug in his system burned away in an instant. His vision sharpened. The world around him seemed too clear, too bright, as if he were seeing through a different lens.
Eleanor groaned from the floor, coughing as she tried to push herself up. "What... the hell..." Romeo slowly rose, his body vibrating with uncontained power. The room felt smaller, suffocating beneath the sheer weight of his presence.
Eleanor's eyes widened in horror. "No... This wasn't—this wasn't supposed to happen!" Romeo took a step forward, and the candles flickered violently, their flames stretching unnaturally, casting monstrous shadows against the walls. Eleanor scrambled backward. "Romeo, wait—" But he didn't wait. A dark wind howled through the room, despite there being no open windows. The floor beneath them cracked.
The walls groaned, as if the entire structure was alive, afraid. Romeo towered over her now, his expression unreadable. His eyes—once their usual deep brown—were now black. Not dark. Black. As if they had been consumed by a bottomless abyss. Eleanor's lips trembled. "I—"
But she couldn't finish. Because in the next second, Romeo lifted a hand, and she was yanked into the air as if an invisible fist had grabbed her by the throat. She gasped, clawing at nothing, her feet dangling inches above the floor. "Did you really think you could touch me?" Romeo's voice was unrecognizable. It was deeper, layered with something ancient. Something monstrous. Eleanor choked, her legs kicking.
"R-Romeo—" Romeo squeezed his fingers, and she convulsed, her back arching unnaturally. "You tried to sever my bond with Venecia." His voice was ice. Void of emotion. "For that, you will suffer."
The shadows in the room moved, as if they had a will of their own. They slithered toward Eleanor, coiling around her wrists, her ankles—spreading across her skin like living ink. She screamed. Dark veins erupted along her body, her flesh turning an eerie shade of gray. Her breath came in ragged, panicked gasps as her own life began to drain.
"P-Please," she croaked. Romeo tilted his head slightly, as if considering. The black mist curled around his hands, responding to his will, waiting for his decision. Then— A whisper. A voice, soft yet desperate, echoed in the back of his mind.
"Romeo."
His entire body froze. It was Venecia. Somewhere—somewhere—she was calling to him. His vision flickered. The blinding rage inside him wavered, replaced with something even stronger. "Venecia needs me." With a sudden gasp, Romeo's grip on Eleanor vanished, and she collapsed onto the floor, coughing violently. The room instantly returned to stillness. The unnatural shadows retreated.
The energy in the air dissipated. Romeo staggered back, his hands trembling. What the hell just happened to him? Eleanor whimpered on the floor, clutching her arms. Her once flawless skin was now tainted with dark veins, her body weak. She wouldn't recover from this easily. But Romeo no longer cared. Because there was only one thing on his mind now. Venecia. He turned without another word and stormed out of the room. He needed to find her. Before it was too late.
*********
Liana's fingers curled into Damien's jacket as they stood at the edge of the abandoned street. The air was thick—too thick. It was as if the world itself was holding its breath. Something was wrong. Very, very wrong. Damien exhaled slowly, his jaw clenched. "Do you feel that?" Liana nodded, her stomach twisting. "Romeo."
They had been following the pull of an unnatural energy—a force that sent shivers crawling down their spines. It had led them here. Damien's grip on his knife tightened. "We need to move. Now." Without another word, they ran. Through dark alleyways, past abandoned buildings, their breath misting in the cold night air.
And then, they saw him. Romeo stood in the middle of the ruined street, his body swaying slightly. His clothes were torn, his hands smeared with something dark. His head was tilted downward, his breath ragged. Liana gasped. His eyes. They weren't just dark. They were black—endless voids swallowing what little light remained. A raw, feral power still clung to him, as if he were moments away from losing control again.
Damien stepped forward cautiously. "Romeo—" The instant his name was spoken, Romeo's head snapped up. The air shifted. Liana's heart stopped. It wasn't just his eyes. His entire presence was wrong. Not Romeo. Something else. Then— He took a step forward, and shadows curled at his feet like living creatures. His lips parted, but no sound came out at first—just a strange, guttural growl. Then, softly, he whispered, "She's gone."
Liana blinked. "What?" "Venecia." His voice was hoarse, breaking. "She's gone." Gone. The weight of the word crashed into them like a tidal wave. Liana's knees almost buckled. Damien sucked in a sharp breath. "What do you mean gone?" Liana asked, stepping forward. Romeo's hands shook. "Ethan." That name sent a bolt of rage through Damien. "That bastard," Damien hissed. Romeo clenched his fists, his breath shuddering.
"I wasn't here. I—" He squeezed his eyes shut as if trying to keep himself together. "I left for a moment. Just a moment." His voice cracked. "And he took her." Liana didn't think. She just moved. She wrapped her arms around Romeo, pressing her forehead against his shoulder. "We'll find her," she whispered. "We will." Romeo's body trembled under her touch. Damien exhaled sharply, stepping closer. "You're not in this alone, man." Romeo remained silent; his breathing ragged.
Then, finally, his hands curled into fists. "No," he murmured. Liana pulled back slightly. "What?" Romeo's voice was low. Dangerous. "I won't let her stay gone." His blackened eyes gleamed under the flickering streetlights. The power inside him was still stirring, waiting to be unleashed. Damien nodded. "Then let's hunt." And with that, the war for Venecia had begun.
*******************
(Dramatic beats) wow, wow. Eleanor thought she could get to him but my boy's mind, heart, body and soul belongs to Venecia. Don't forget to like the star button and comment.