Love At First Death

Elysia paced the room, her bare feet brushing against the cold floor. "So, do uninvited guests just waltz in here all the time, or am I special?"

Damien, sitting by the desk with a glass of something amber in his hand, leaned back in his chair. "She's not just anyone," he said, his tone clipped.

Elysia raised a brow. "Yeah, I gathered that. She's someone who desperately needs a new hobby. Care to elaborate?"

He swirled the liquid in his glass, eyes locked on it like it held the answers to life's riddles. "Lila is... complicated. Let's leave it at that."

Elysia crossed her arms, frowning. "You're really bad at this whole 'open communication' thing, you know."

"I didn't ask for your opinion," Damien retorted, though the corner of his mouth twitched.

She narrowed her eyes. "Fine. Be all broody and mysterious. I'll just be here, making wild guesses about my safety because, clearly, that's fun."

Damien stood abruptly, the scrape of his chair against the floor making her flinch. He stalked toward her, stopping just close enough to invade her personal space. "You're safe as long as you stay out of trouble."

Elysia tilted her head, refusing to back down. "Define trouble."

"Lila, for one," he said, his voice dropping an octave. "And anything that involves you trying to figure out more than you need to know."

"Ah, so ignorance is bliss, huh?" she quipped, though her heart raced under his intense gaze.

Damien's lips twitched again, this time into a full smirk. "For someone like you? Definitely."

"Someone like me?" she echoed, offended.

"You're... naïve," he said, his smirk fading as his eyes softened ever so slightly. "That's not an insult, Elysia. It's just fact."

"Gee, thanks," she muttered, looking away. "Next time, just compliment me by calling me a 'fragile kitten' like Lila did. Really boosts the confidence."

Damien chuckled– low, dark, and entirely unexpected. "You handled her better than most. I'll give you that."

Elysia's eyes snapped back to him. "Wait. Was that... a compliment? From you?"

"Don't get used to it," he said, turning away, but she caught the faintest hint of a smile before he did.

Suddenly, the lights flickered, plunging the room into an eerie half-darkness. Elysia froze, the hairs on her arms standing on end. "Uh... Damien?"

"It's just the wiring," he said, though his tone was sharper now, his eyes scanning the room.

"Right. Because that's comforting," she muttered, inching closer to him.

A faint, rhythmic tapping echoed through the hallway outside. Tap. Tap. Tap.

"What the hell is that?" Elysia whispered, clutching his sleeve.

"Stay here," Damien ordered, already moving toward the door.

"Stay here?" she hissed. "Are you serious? That's the part in every horror story where someone dies!"

He shot her a warning look. "You won't die. Unless you do something stupid. So stay put."

Elysia watched as he disappeared into the hallway, the shadows swallowing him whole. The tapping grew louder, more insistent, and she swore she heard a faint whisper accompanying it.

Against every ounce of better judgment, she followed.

"Elysia!" Damien's sharp voice startled her, and she jumped back as he reappeared. "What part of 'stay here' do you not understand?"

"The part where you expect me to sit in a creepy room alone while there's ominous tapping sounds!" she shot back.

His jaw tightened, but before he could respond, the tapping stopped. Silence stretched between them, heavy and expectant.

Then, a low, raspy voice cut through the air. "Damien... you can't hide forever."

Elysia's eyes widened, and Damien stepped in front of her, his posture rigid. "Get back inside. Now."

She didn't argue this time, retreating into the room as Damien closed the door behind them. "What was that?" she whispered, her voice trembling.

He didn't answer, his eyes locked on the door. For the first time, she saw something in his expression she hadn't before: unease.