Love At First Death

The days passed in a strange blur, with Elysia staying hidden in Damien's office, feeling more like a prisoner than a guest. Damien had his moments of coldness, but there were odd little cracks in his demeanor that kept her on her toes. The way he'd quietly leave her food on the desk, or how his gaze would soften ever so slightly when she'd do something ridiculously cute, like trying to hide her failed attempts at a new hairstyle.

But the mystery of that man in the hallway lingered. Elysia couldn't shake the feeling that Damien was hiding something from her, even though he kept assuring her everything was under control.

One afternoon, as she sat idly flipping through a pile of old magazines, the door creaked open.

"Damien?" she called out, thinking it was him returning.

But when she looked up, her heart skipped a beat.

Standing in the doorway was the last person she expected to see.

It was the man from the hallway. The trespasser.

He looked more disheveled than before, his eyes wild with fear, and his hands shaking as if he'd just been through hell.

"Who– who are you?" Elysia stammered, instinctively backing away from him.

"I– I need help," the man gasped, his voice barely a whisper. "Please… please, you have to listen. He's not who you think he is."

Elysia blinked in confusion. "What are you talking about? Who?"

"Damien Blackwood," the man said urgently. "He's not a mortician. He's not just a mortician. He's a… a hunter."

Elysia froze.

"A hunter?" she echoed, struggling to make sense of his words.

The man nodded, glancing over his shoulder nervously. "He's been hunting me. I– I'm one of his victims."

At that moment, the door slammed open with a force that made Elysia jump. Damien stood in the doorway, his jaw clenched, his eyes dark.

"Leave," he said coldly to the man.

The trespasser took a step back, fear flashing in his eyes. "You don't understand! He'll come for you next!"

Damien didn't flinch, his posture unyielding. "Leave, before I make you leave."

The man hesitated, then bolted, disappearing into the hallway. Elysia stood rooted to the spot, her pulse racing.

"What just happened?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.

Damien didn't look at her as he shut the door with a soft click. "Nothing for you to worry about."

Elysia crossed her arms, frustration bubbling to the surface. "You can't just say that! What did he mean, Damien? A hunter?"

Damien finally met her gaze, his eyes narrowing. "He was delusional. That's all."

"I don't believe you."

Damien's lips twisted into a faint smirk. "Doesn't matter if you do or not."

Elysia felt a chill at the back of her neck. She wanted to demand more, to get to the bottom of whatever was going on, but something in Damien's posture told her it wasn't the time to push him further.

Instead, she bit her lip and said, "You're hiding something, Damien. I know you are."

"And you don't need to know everything," he replied, his voice cool and distant.

But despite his words, Elysia couldn't shake the feeling that the secrets he was keeping were far darker than she ever imagined.

Later that evening, as the soft glow of twilight crept through the blinds, Elysia sat in the corner, absently nibbling on a snack, when she heard a soft knock on the door.

"Damien?" she called, glancing toward the door.

To her surprise, it was not Damien who entered, but a woman– tall, with sharp features and dark, piercing eyes. She was dressed in a sleek black suit, her expression unreadable.

"I'm here to speak with Mr. Blackwood," the woman said, her voice smooth and controlled.

Elysia's eyes narrowed. "Who are you?"

"I'm his… associate," the woman replied, her gaze flicking over Elysia. "And you must be the one who has been causing all the trouble."

Elysia's eyes widened. "I'm not causing any trouble!"

The woman smiled thinly. "Oh, I'm sure you're not. But Mr. Blackwood has a reputation, and when certain people start poking around… things can get messy."

Elysia took a step back, suddenly feeling like a mouse caught in a trap. "What do you want?"

"Just a little chat," the woman said, her smile never quite reaching her eyes. "But you'll have to wait for Mr. Blackwood to return. It won't be long."

Elysia didn't know what to make of the woman's cryptic words, but one thing was certain: Damien's world was far more complicated and dangerous than she ever thought.

And she was caught right in the middle of it.