Hellbound With You

This chapter is dedicated to @Sacogun! Thank you so much for the supergift!

Back at Little Flower bookstore. r

Iryz was drawing Zeres again – this time while he was sleeping on the floor. The man was lying on the floor instead of sitting in his usual position against the wall.r

Last night, she had really dreamt of something that she believe will certainly lead them to the whereabouts of the book that he was desperately searching for. She was excited to tell him more about it and she could not wait to see his reaction. She was sure Zeres would be ecstatic with the news. r

But for once, the man was not waking up. Iryz thought that he must have just fallen asleep, so she did not move from her bed and just grabbed for her sketch pad – as it was as good a time as any to grab this opportunity to draw him. r

She thought at first to go downstairs and check on that spot where she had seen in her dream. But she did not want to wake Zeres up. He always wakes up the moment she tries to open the door or even when she just climbs off her bed. So she stayed where she was. She must at least let him sleep a little bit longer. r

Until time passed and she finally finished her sketch. Surprisingly, the angel-looking male witch was not waking up and still seemed to be in dreamland! r

Iryz creased her brows and she wondered if Zeres was finally tired out after all those restless nights he had spent browsing through those countless books. r

A quiet sigh escaped her lips as she laid her sketchbook on her lap and looked over at him. He looked a little more comfortable this time sleeping flat on the floor. Munching on her inner cheeks, she so wanted to approach him, drape a blanket over him, touch his unusual silver hair and…r

She bit down on her lower lip the moment she caught herself smiling a silly grin from ear to ear as she stared at him. Shaking her head, Iryz forced her eyes back to the sketch she had just completed. No, she should not. She must not continue adoring this man more than she already had. Because… because she could never have him. He could never be hers. He would never look at her – not in the way that she wanted him to, anyway.r

Repeatedly, Iryz told herself that Zeres was like those fictional characters in books she would quickly fall in love with. Someone that she can only adore from afar off and dream about. Nothing else. It was not like she did not know how he was pining for that other woman who he was putting in all this effort for. It would be detrimental to her heart and mental health if she were to get caught up in this dream and lose herself. No, she had more realistic issues to deal with – like being able to pay off her house. She needed to focus.r

Closing her sketch pad, Iryz took a deep breath and forced a smile. She lifted her gaze to look at him just to see him suddenly rise from the floor into a sitting position. r

He was breathing hard, and his angel-like face looked like he had just seen something that totally horrified him. Did he just wake up from a nightmare? r

Iryz hastily climbed off her bed, poured a water from the pitcher into a glass and brought it over to him. Squatting on the floor right across him, Iryz looked at him with so much concern shining in her eyes. "Are you okay?" she asked him so gently, reaching out hesitantly, wanting to touch his forehead to see if he was perhaps running a fever.r

"Uhm… here's a glass of water," she added when suddenly, his eyes brightened. It almost look like a weak flashlight. Then without warning, he moved so fast and stood up, knocking her hand that was holding the glass of water, causing Iryz to be knocked off balance and fell backwards on her bottom. It was as if he had never seen her nor heard her in the first place at all. 'What could have caused him to react so urgently?' she wondered to herself.r

The next thing she realised was that there was a sharp pain in her palm. When she looked down at it, she saw that it was bleeding. It was only then that she realized that the glass she had been holding had broken when it fell with her, and she had cut herself on the shards. r

Whipping around, Iryz saw that the door was left opened, and Zeres was long gone. He had stormed out like the room was on fire. She winced at the pain in her hand and grabbed her hand towel that was draped over her chair and pressed it down onto the wound, putting pressure on it to stem the bleeding. Then she quickly rose to go find the first aid kit downstairs. r

She was nibbling on the insides of her slightly trembling lip as she descended the stairs. And it was not just because from the pain of the wound. Her throat felt swollen, and it hurts. She could not quite help it. She told herself that he did not notice her at all. That he did not know that she was there. That was why he had unknowingly bumped into her on his way out. She had seen that strange and slightly crazed light in his eyes after all. But still, it did so little in soothing her hurt feelings. The fact was, even if he did unknowingly and accidentally bump into her, he did not even stop to turn around and throw out an apology. It was as though she was invisible to him.r

"I… I hate you," she muttered weakly as she fumbled with opening the first aid kit. "I really hate you right now, Zeres. Do you know that? I really don't adore you anymore. I mean it –"r

Iryz gasped when she felt someone's presence suddenly looming behind her. Oh no! Did he come back and heard her bad-mouthing him? r

Whipping around, Iryz was about to force out a smile when she froze. The man standing before her was not Zeres. He was wearing a black hoodie so she could not see his face but his presence and physique alone told her this man was someone else. Someone sinister.r

"W-who are you?" she stumbled back a few steps and before she could run off or scream for help, the man in the hoodie came at her, inhumanly fast. r

Then everything turned completely dark. r