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A shiver, like an icy tendril, snaked down my spine. His back, a canvas of intricate tattoos, held my gaze captive. Massive, meticulously rendered wings unfolded across his shoulders, anchored by a stark, geometric symbol at the heart of the design. The artistry continued down his arms, creating an almost ethereal, commanding presence. It wasn't the ink itself, though – not just the tattoos on this priest – that unsettled me. It was something far more unsettling, something profoundly uncanny.
Every time I pictured him, undressed, the image was identical – down to the last minuscule detail of those tattoos. It was a perfect, unchanging replication, a haunting mental echo that refused to fade. It felt…wrong, like a glitch in the fabric of reality.
He casually tossed his shirt onto a chair, turning to face me. His concern was palpable as he registered my stunned expression.
“Aphira, what’s amiss?” he asked, his voice laced with worry.
I wrestled to tear my eyes from the tattoos, finally meeting his gaze. My words felt leaden, weighed down by an unspoken dread.
“Your… your tattoos,” I whispered, the question barely audible.
He froze, a flicker of surprise, perhaps even shock, crossing his features. It was as if my observation caught him completely off guard.
“What about them?” His voice was steady, yet a subtle undercurrent of something unsaid vibrated beneath the surface.
My eyes remained locked on his. His initial worry gradually morphed into a calm, almost impassive mask. The tension in the air thickened, a palpable silence hanging between us.
I tried to speak, but my throat constricted, the words choked off. Then, a chilling thought, as sudden and sharp as a shard of ice, pierced my mind.
“We’ve been here before, haven’t we?” I blurted out.
He studied me for a long moment, his eyes narrowing fractionally. A fleeting expression – understanding? – crossed his face before he responded.
“Of course we have. We were here last week.”
I shook my head slowly, the world seeming to tilt on its axis. “No, I don’t mean that. I mean…” The words spilled out before I could censor them, sounding even to my own ears like the ramblings of a madwoman.
My heart hammered against my ribs. “I think… I think we knew each other in a past life.”
His expression softened momentarily. He opened his mouth to speak, but an overwhelming instinct propelled me forward.
“Don’t lie to me.”
He blinked, a fleeting emotion – perhaps guilt? – dancing across his features. Then, his voice, calm and resolute, cut through the tension.
“I have never lied to you, Aphira. Not then, and certainly not now.”
Queen of Lemuria novel is a popular light novel covering Fantasy genres. Written by the Author monange25 . Read Queen of Lemuria novel online for free.