Sera's heart pounded wildly. She looked at him shyly, then whispered as she got into the car, "I... thank you."
The car glided smoothly, as if weaving through the city's damp breaths. The soft whir of the tires on the wet asphalt was like cautious whispers on a winter night. Droplets of water scattered from beneath the wheels, sprinkling like soft sparks of dim light, completing the never-ending symphony of the rain.
In the passenger seat, Sera sat stiffly, like a porcelain doll. Her brown eyes watched the road, but her focus wasn't on the street, but on the regular thrum in her chest. Her heartbeats were like war drums, beating a frantic rhythm deep within her, as if she were on the verge of confessing an imaginary truth.
Her flushed cheeks didn't betray her this time. Heat rose from her neck to her ears, so she gently lifted her dark hair, searching for a breath of air to extinguish the flames on her skin. Her fingers trembled for a moment before she tucked strands behind her ear.
Aiden's scent filled the car. It was something unlike anyone else.
A first whiff of dark rose, closer to blue than red...
A rose like the night—mysterious, dewy, and wrapped in tranquility.
Followed by a soft vanilla scent, not childish, but warm.
And in the depths, there was a faint trace of clean tobacco, not heavy, but like a shadow after light...
A scent like nostalgia, like captivity, like a man who doesn't raise his voice but fills the space.
As if the scent itself knew its way to her pulse.
Aiden lightly gripped the steering wheel, his long fingers moving it precisely, and with each turn, his forearm muscles tensed as if whispering hidden strength. His reflection appeared on the side window, silent, still, but his features gleaming under the external city lights. His bluish-black hair glowed like wet night silk, and his long eyelashes cast shadows on his cheeks.
She looked at him, believing he wasn't paying attention. Every detail of him was like a silent musical piece... perfectly composed. She murmured to herself, her voice only in her chest:
"Calm down a little, my heart... just a little... If he intends to drown me, I've been drowned in him since the first glance."
Suddenly, he turned his head towards her, she flinched and quickly looked forward. Her face had flushed so much that heat almost rose from her ears, and it seemed as if smoke would come out of them.
Aiden gave a slight sideways smile, his voice deep, calm, without any hurry:
"Shall we go to the doctor first? Then I'll take you home... Of course, if you don't mind."
She stammered, twisting her fingers in her lap:
"No... no, just... I..."
She quickly reached for the window button, opening it slightly, and a gust of air hit her as if bringing her back to reality.
The rain continued to roar outside, pouring on the car windows as if the sky were playing soft music over the heads of passersby. Outside, red, blue, and golden neon lights scattered on the roads like spilled jewels, reflecting on the water, moving with it, twisting like magical ribbons. The rain colored the city, and the glowing lights created a fantastical scene, as if they were in another world, between dream and reality.
Aiden broke the silence with his deep voice again:
"Did you recently move to Arcadia Vaulte?"
Sera nodded slowly, her eye still watching the dancing light outside the window.
"Yes... just yesterday."
Aiden hummed softly, then added, focusing on the road ahead:
"By the way... I'm Aiden."
She turned to him, as if hearing a rare melody played for the first time. She looked into his eyes and then whispered:
"Sera... I'm Sera."
He repeated her name, in a low voice, as if savoring it. Then he gave a small smile that didn't reach his eyes, but carried a warm mystery, as if he knew she would be part of something much bigger.
And outside, the engine sound mingled with the ringing of the rain, and with the city lights that reflected on her face, turning that moment of meeting into a vibrant painting, like a rare jewel polished under the flicker of the night.
The car stopped in front of Arcadia Vaulte, and Aiden slowly eased off the brakes. The rain began to lighten, but the ground still gleamed under the lights, as if the city were silently drying its tears. The doors opened quietly, and Sera got out first.
Her feet touched the ground as she raised her eyes to the towering building in front of her, then turned to him. Aiden got out after her, standing beside her without saying anything, just looking at her with that steady gaze that revealed nothing.
Sera, with a warm but hesitant smile: "I... thank you for driving me, truly."
Aiden, in a calm but decisive tone: "It's my duty."
She paused for a moment, as if something within her didn't want this moment to end. She looked at him deeply, as if trying to etch his details into her memory: the shadows around his eyes, his scent.
Aiden watched her, just for a moment, then returned to his car to park it. He slowly turned off the engine.
Inside the apartment, the door opened.
Her mother, with an eager voice mixed with hope: "So? Were you lucky this time?"
Sera, sighing as she took off her shoes: "Unfortunately, no. But I still have many pharmacies left... I'll search more tomorrow. For now, I'll shower, then come back to tell you about my crazy adventure today."
Rina, from the couch, laughed while replying to messages on her phone: "Ellen hasn't found a handsome guy yet? Too bad!"
Sera laughed, but hid her face slightly so the faint blush on her cheeks wouldn't be seen. She entered her room, threw her bag on the chair, then closed the door.
She turned on the water, and steam gradually rose. The hot water touched her skin, but her mind wasn't quiet.
His scent... still lingering in her nose. His eyes, that mysterious color, a mix of night black and sky blue. His voice, deep and reassuring, echoed in her head, reverberating like an echo in an empty heart.
Sera murmured to herself as she splashed water on her face: "Aiden... who exactly are you?"
Stars began to scatter across the sky, one after another, as if watching the city from afar.
He stood in front of the mirror, meticulously putting on his police uniform, then automatically strapping his gun to his hip before heading out.
The roar of his motorcycle broke the silence of the night, slowly fading down the wet street, while the streetlights reflected on the water in a silent cinematic scene.
From her window, Sera watched what was happening without uttering a word. Then she whispered again, in a voice only the stars could hear:
"Aiden... who exactly are you?"
The alley was long and branching, its ground wet with rainwater, strewn with broken wooden boxes and shattered glass plates, and the smell of mold seeped from the decaying walls. A single lamp swayed overhead, its dim light flickering as if dying.
Aiden stopped his motorcycle at the alley's entrance. His black helmet reflected the faint lamp light, then he slowly removed it, as if taking off a mask of silence. His long, bluish-black hair fell over his face, and his eyes glowed with that enchanting mix of pure blue and mysterious black, like night waves intermingling with moonlight.
Police officers began to spread out with deliberate silence, each taking an angle, like ghosts preparing to capture a murderous shadow.
Aiden took his gun from his holster, loaded it calmly, and pressed the trigger to secure it. The metallic click echoed between the walls like heartbeats in a dark room. Then he began to walk.
His steps were measured, heavy, accompanied by a broken echo, until they seemed to knock on the doors of danger.
Suddenly, a distorted, broken female laugh was heard, as if from a damaged tape.
A laugh rising from all directions, as if the walls themselves were mocking their presence.
Luna (voice echoing from nowhere):
"I wanted you... the second victim..."
Silence, then a sharper, hysterical laugh.
"But now... you are number twelve..."
Aiden stopped. His eyes became two glowing embers under the shadow of his hair.
He didn't speak. He wasn't flustered. He just slowly turned his head, as if hearing something he couldn't see.
Luna (from nowhere, in a voice closer to a whisper):
"It's okay...
Only ten difference, there are still two..."
Her laugh was now deeper, more like a choked sound, then she said in a voice as if coming from the depths of madness:
"Aiden...
I'll get you...
I'll get her...
Your eyes...
That captivating mix of night black and sky blue...
I want them...
Mine...
I am... Luna."