NOVEL NEXT Chapter 12: The Unseen Chains
It was 3 a.m. when Irina left the abandoned building. The biting cold wind struck her face as if nature was trying to jolt her awake from the surreal dream she had just experienced. Her steps were heavy, burdened by the weight of unanswered questions.
The city lay under dim lights, with only the rare hum of passing cars and the watchful silhouettes of tall trees along the streets. It was a sleeping city, but Irina's mind was painfully alert.
Irina (thinking): "Dmitri… who are you, really? Why do I feel like I've known you forever, yet can't seem to understand you?"
She wandered aimlessly through the city streets, letting her mind spiral into the abyss of thoughts.
Gentle snowflakes fell, coating the pavements with a delicate layer of white. Everything seemed quiet, save for the occasional whistle of the wind that felt like it carried whispers from another world.
Irina shivered—not only from the cold but from the deep-rooted fear nesting in her chest. She buried her hands in the pockets of her coat, but it was no use. This cold felt internal, emanating from within, as though Dmitri had planted something inside her that she couldn't shake off.
As she walked, she stopped abruptly, sensing something behind her. She turned, scanning the empty street. Her eyes searched the darkness as if expecting Dmitri to emerge from the shadows.
Irina (in a hushed voice): "Dmitri… is that you?"
But the only reply she received was the oppressive silence.
She turned back and continued walking, only to feel a sudden grip on her wrist. Spinning around, she found Dmitri standing behind her, his eyes gleaming in the darkness.
Dmitri (calm but sharp): "Were you trying to run away?"
Irina (startled): "How… how did you get here? I was alone."
Dmitri gave her that enigmatic smile that always unsettled her before speaking softly.
Dmitry: "I'm always with you, Irina. Even when you can't see me."
They stood beneath an old streetlamp that cast their shadows onto the ground. Their silhouettes seemed to merge, as if reflecting something far more profound than mere shapes.
Irina (hesitant): "Why are you doing this? Why do you appear and disappear as you please?"
Dmitri (deep tone): "Because you belong to me. And I don't need permission to be part of your life."
He stepped closer, closing the unbearable distance between them. Leaning in, he whispered in her ear, his voice like a melody reverberating through her depths:
Dmitri (whispering): "I love you, I love you, I love you…
You are my angel, sent from a distant heaven…"
Each word struck her heart like a drumbeat, leaving her feeling trapped between her fear and an inexplicable longing.
Dmitri's gaze seemed to pierce through her, leaving her feeling utterly exposed, as if stripped of all defenses.
Irina (trembling): "What do you want from me? Why won't you leave me alone?"
Dmitri (with a cold smile): "Because you came to me. You opened the door that can never be closed."
His words carried a power she couldn't resist. Irina knew he wasn't telling the whole truth, but somehow, he made her believe him anyway. She tried to fight it, but her heart betrayed her every time.
Dmitri grabbed her hand and pulled her closer. She felt the warmth emanating from him, but it was a frightening warmth, as if it were consuming her.
Dmitri (in a low voice): "Don't try to run again, Irina. You're mine, and that will never change."
His words were like chains, binding her without physical restraint.
Suddenly, Dmitri released her and disappeared into the darkness as swiftly as he had appeared.
Irina was left alone on the street, feeling as though this man was not merely a person but an unstoppable force.
Irina (thinking): "He's completely taken over me… and I can't do a thing about it."