My Necromancer Wife

Karim.

His response completely destroys the calm and serene atmosphere.

Ace goes pale, his skin completely devoid of colour.

It's the first time I've seen him... afraid.

His knuckles are white from clenching his fists too tightly, his posture is rigid - no longer casual and relaxed.

The Presence leans back and closes its eyes, sighing with satisfaction at our reaction - as if it has accomplished its mission by destroying the mood.

Ace's eyes slowly lose their shimmer and the flowers around us begin to wilt and die. The air gradually becomes bitingly cold and chilly. The sun fades behind the shelter of gloomy clouds, casting shadows over the once-beautiful landscape.

What is going on with Ace?

I notice that he is staring deeply into the eyes of the Presence.

It's doing something to him. I have to break the contact immediately.

None of them are moving. They both seemed trapped by each other's gaze - which makes me wonder who is holding the other captive.

I shiver from the cold, my breath raspy and foggy.

It keeps getting darker and colder.

"Ace!"

He doesn't respond. Neither of them do.

"Ace!" I yell again.

I get up from my chair, trembling terribly from the cold, teeth chattering, and walk to where he is seated.

I give him a shake, but he doesn't respond.

I shake him again - still no response.

Frustrated, I slap him hard across the face.

His face reddens immediately in the cold, showing the mark of my five fingers.

His eyes flicker and then he looks up at me, dazed and confused.

I must have slapped him so hard, he's seeing stars.

He blinks several times before his gaze steadies.

I turn to look at the Presence.

His eyes are no longer distant. He's looking directly at me, smirking even.

What was going on between the two of them?

From the terrified look on Ace's face and the casual smirk on the Presence's face, I don't need to be told who was the captive.

Ace sits up straighter and pulls his headphones over his ears, never taking his eyes off the guy across him.

The chilly air seems to be bothering only me.

"Ace-".

We're back in the dungeon.

I forget my fear of the thing behind the bars as I bask in the warmth emanating from the fire.

The place itself is cold, being several feet underground and built with stone.

But after being frozen to death, the dungeon feels warm in comparison.

We are all standing exactly where we had been before Ace had pulled us into his Spatial Domain.

The atmosphere is brimming with tension and I'm the only one left in the dark.

Ace still looks pale underneath the glow of the firelight.

What had he seen?

"We'll wrap it up for today, P. See you tomorrow". Ace suddenly says and leaves, without a word to me.

He doesn't even glance at me as he breezes past.

I look back into the cell - it's empty.

How does it disappear?

I know it's somewhere in there, probably watching me.

The very thought sends a shiver down my spine - not from the cold, but from fear of the unknown.

I grab the two fire torches and walk down the endless hallway. Ace had left without light - maybe the dark doesn't bother him.

I only pause to return my glassmask to its shelf.

It had become difficult to see through the damn thing because the screen had become clouded with the steam from my breathing.

I walk down to the end of the hall and reach the lift.

Something moves behind me.

I jerk, dropping a fire torch in the process. The torch rolls along the ground until the flame is completely killed.

I raise my torch to see the face of my intruder.

My mind calms immediately as I see Ace's slender form standing there, looking at me, but not really looking at me. I've grown used to blank stares - it's hard not to, after living with Arya for so many years. It seems like a common thing among those who see things that are not visible to others.

"Don't sneak up on me like that again. If I had been with a sword, your head would have been rolling next to that torch".

He doesn't acknowledge my warning.

He picks up the fallen torch and lights it up by touching it's oiled head to my already burning one.

He hands it to me, bending down to raise the gate of the lift.

Once raised, he takes the torch from me and walks into it, leaning at a corner with his eyes closed.

I enter after him, pulling the gate of the lift down. Every single sound echoes in the silence.

Ace pulls the lever up and the lift starts ascending after a rusty creak.

I keep waiting for the lift to become faulty again and stop mid-way, but it doesn't.

We emerge at the top without a single hitch.

I pull the gate up this time, watching him as he comes out absent-mindedly.

I let the gate slide down on its own, screeching as metal slams against metal.

Ace is halfway across the room, oblivious to his extinguishing flame.

The shadows seem more friend than foe now that I know what lurks below.

Thinking of it makes me shudder - the black, mirror-like eyes that pierces sharper than even a sword would.

What is it exactly? How are they able to confine such a thing for such a long time?

Ace suddenly stops and spins around.

He lifts one side of his headphones upward.

"Why are you always behind? I get that you're afraid, but I don't bite".

I blink at his words.

That has nothing to do with anything.

He is the one who leaves me behind.

I fall into step with him and we unlatch the door together.

It's dark outside now. The sky is bare.

He extinguishes the torches and hangs them in the dark.

I sense someone standing outside on the stone steps.

Ace is too busy locking the door to notice. I don't get why he bothers to lock every door when the monster is barred securely in its cell.

The person approaches cautiously, footsteps echoing loudly with each step.

The shadow slowly takes a feminine form, until I can make out Morrow's petite build in front of me.

She isn't smiling.

Ace finishes his arduous task and approaches us.

He doesn't say a word to her, neither do I.

"My parents are... dead", her voice shakes as a tremor ripples through her. I can tell she has been crying a lot.

She sniffles and continues in a level voice.

"The monsters have escalated to London. I heard from Angela that you want to put an end to it. So do I. I wanna... join your team".