forgotten | j.jk

Chapter Ⅴ

1804

"Recognize me yet?"

"What... H-how-"

She tried to steady her breathing, trying to find the right words to express her emotions. Her head filled with confusion as she tried to calm herself. All of this was happening so fast yet time seemed to have slowed down. She glanced around the darkness surrounding her before she faced him again. 

"Who are you?"

"You called me and I came." He replied shortly.

"Now tell me... what is it that you want? Why have you called out to me?"

"I-" she choked on her words. What did she want? She wanted everything but that seemed too broad to answer his question. Freedom? Peace? Escape? A proper life? Too many words described what she really wanted and she couldn't form a proper sentence to express her wants.

After a few seconds of drifting off her thoughts, she started, "I want to leave...the wedding. I don't want to marry Richard". Unsure of whether she knew what he meant, she hoped for a promised response. 

"Well if that's the only thing you want, then-"

"No!" she interrupted.

"I want to travel the world too. Explore what the world has to offer. I don't want to be stuck in this village. I want to be free. Freedom, that is."

"Ah, I see... a life with no limits. Experience without worry. Actions without consequences."

"Yes, exactly! I want all that. I crave to see everything." she felt excitement as she believed he understood her.

"Alright, if that's what you want. And how long are you thinking to live such a life?"

She hadn't thought about that of course. A lifetime? Maybe longer... several centuries? She wasn't sure.

"I don't know. Perhaps a bit longer than a lifetime?"

"So you want to live your life freely and have an endless amount of time? That does seem like a dream, doesn't it? No limits, no worry, no consequences."

"Yes, that's what I desire"

"Alright, and what do you have to offer in exchange?"

"Well... I have this ring. It means a lot to me", she took it out of her pocket, "It's the only thing I have left."

Suddenly the ring disappeared from the palm of her hand, soon realised that he took it to take a closer look.

"A wooden engraved ring? Is that all you have for me, darling?"

"Yes..."

He took a few moments to think about it, resulting in his final answer. 

"That's absurd. You want everything yet I get merely nothing? You're making a deal with the devil, the darkness, evil. All you have to offer is a ring?" 

Slight panic rose inside her, thinking she might lose her only opportunity. 

"No! No, of course not!", she thought for several seconds, "...I'll let you take my life whenever I'm done with it. I'll explore the world, see what I desire and then when I've finally had enough, you can take it from me. You may also leave me with any consequence of your choice. Only one. I will have to deal with it, as long as it doesn't get in my way of doing what I want."

There. That seemed good enough for her. What could possibly be the worst consequence? She'll get what she wants, nothing could get in the way of that.

"...that seems fair, Adeline. We have a deal."

The shadows reappeared and his body blent in with the surrounding blackness. It surrounded her tightly as he suddenly approached her closely, but very gently. Embracing her with his arms his lips came in close contact with hers. He pulled her close from the waist. 

"Done" is all she heard before his lips met hers and she started falling. Nothing around her, yet she was falling, very, very deep.