It was such a strange situation.

I lost my footing dramatically when a stranger caught me in his arms. It was supposed to be a cliche scene from a novel, but not with this guy.

First, there was a massive coffin hanging on his back. As if being a coffin wasn't ominous enough, it reeked of black magic and it shook violently.

"Hmm. That's quite a nasty curse you have there."

Second, this guy isn't looking at me as a potential love interest. He had this irritating expression on his face like he was looking at a rare specimen.

"Not worse than this one I have here, though." The mage added while caressing the thing on his back.

Both of us tilted our head on the coffin behind him when it started trembling uncontrollably. For a moment, it looked like it was about to burst open.

"Calm down, my friend. Why are you so excited?" He spoke softly, as if talking to the corpse inside.

This is so weird. Like, so freaking weird.

I've never seen a man walk around with a black coffin like that. It looks heavy and so out of place. More importantly, is it truly storing a corpse now?

The lock of the coffin suddenly broke, startling both of us. Without warning, the man carelessly let go of my body and casted magic on the coffin.

Dude, if you were going to drop me like that, why did you catch me in the first place? My butt hurts!

"No can do. I understand that you're eager to be friends with her, but people will be scared if you come out." He smiled while reinforcing the coffin with magic. "Also, we should ask what she thinks."

I have a bad feeling about this.

The black-haired mage looked at me. A small smile dawned on his face."Would you like to be friends with this corpse while she's yet to rest in peace?"

Like hell I'd be friends with a dead person!

Instead of paying attention to his ridiculous words, I began scribbling on my sketchpad.

Are you Sir Haniel?

He stared at me blankly. "That is my name, yes."

Haniel patiently waited as I continued writing.

I was sent by Sir Ion to escort you back.

"On the second thought, I'm not Haniel." The timid mage pretentiously looked away. "My name... It's actually Daniel. I misspoke earlier. My apologies."

This guy... He doesn't want to return to the tower!

Before he could even think about running away, I caught Haniel in both forearms and refused to let go. He's not going anywhere. Not on my watch!

"Oh," He blurted out nonchalantly. "I got caught."

Heh. Damn right you were!

"Any chance you might let me go?" Haniel asked.

I shook my head frantically in response.

Haniel stared at me then looked at my sketchpad. He was about to say something but he flinched while looking at the papers, like he realized something. Is he eyeing my handwriting?

"Hm?" His eyes widened. "Hm... Hm? Hm?!"

A vein popped on the side of my forehead. This dude... Is he mocking me now for being mute? Does he think that's how I communicate?!

"It's the same." He marvelled at my handwriting for reasons unknown to me. "I finally found you."

What the heck is he going on about?

"We finally met, Isabelle..." Haniel held my hands then leveled our gazes. "Or should it be Callista?"

I blinked twice. Huh? Did I hear him right?

Amidst the bustling streets of the capital, I sat there on the ground with Haniel, an enigmatic man that I've barely met. His deep purple eyes, which looked bored to death earlier, were now brimming with interest and shining in curiosity.

Wait. Did he just call me by my former names?

How...? I wrote on my sketchpad.

Before Haniel could even answer my question, a figure stopped a few inches away from us. Both the black-haired mage and I turned our heads to the right as Grand Duke Averill entered the scene.

"You," He called me in a strident tone, refusing to address me by my name. "Is something the matter? Are you acquainted with this man?"

I didn't appreciate his inquiry.

At this point, he was just being nosy.

Alistair told me not to show my face in front of him again, yet he appears before me and asks my business like he's concerned. How inconsistent.

Make up your damn mind. Do you want me in your life or not? There's no middle way, Your Grace. It's either you get rid of me or have me by your side.

"How annoying." Haniel whispered to the wind, as if talking to himself. "Should I just kill this guy?"

When I glanced over him, gone was the timid mage beside me earlier. This time, Haniel's face was filled with rancour while looking at Alistair.

I pursed my lips. What's with that repugnance?

I returned my gaze to Grand Duke Averill. His face looked like he was demanding for an explanation even when I didn't owe him one. This is so tiring.

To be honest, I just want to tell him the truth.

But seeing how Alistair keeps on pronouncing me dead, would he even believe that I'm also Isabelle, when I was decapitated in the capital years ago?

He won't believe me. Even now, he thinks I am someone sent by his enemies to get him shaken.

The grand duke and I were staring intently at each other when Haniel came forward and spread his arm in front of me, shielding me with the sleeves of his oversized robe. He was smiling, but his eyes were full of enmity towards Alistair. Why is that?

"I greet the shield of the empire." Haniel remarked curtly, not even bowing and keeping his chin up.

Alistair noticed this disrespect, but decided to let it slide. "It seems you are aware who I am, wizard."

"Of course," Haniel smiled. "You're the recipient."

Huh?

Both Alistair and I were equally confounded by his words. Recipient? What is he talking about?

I flinched when Haniel turned his head to me. Contrary to his bitter countenance towards His Grace, the mage was looking at me rather fondly.

He leaned closer to my ear. "What's your name this time? What do they call that body, hm?"

I gasped upon feeling his soft voice on my ear.

I scribbled on my sketchpad once again.

It's Allari.

"I see. Shall we go, Allari?" Haniel offered his hand to me. "Let us return to the tower. They asked you to bring me back, didn't they?"

I nodded. Thank god he's being cooperative!

I gave Alistair one last look before taking Haniel's hand. He seemed concerned and exasperated at the same time, but he made no effort to stop us.

I smiled bitterly to myself. Your Grace, it's sad but it seems we keep on seeing each other's back lately.

On our way back to the tower, Haniel didn't let go of my hand. He kept mum the whole time, but the black-haired mage kept smiling and glancing over me from time to time. Why does he look so happy?

This man looks at me with omniscient eyes. Well, since he has knowledge of my previous names, it's safe to assume that Haniel does know something, if not everything, about me. I'm not sure how.

When we arrived at the tower, most of the mages recognized Haniel and greeted him along the way.

Judging by how pleasantly surprised they seemed when the mages saw him, looks like Haniel was gone for a long time. Also, I noticed that no one seemed to be bothered by the humongous coffin he was carrying around. I assume he's already had it before he left for his journey.

What a mysterious man.

Once we made it in front of Sir Ion's office, the illustrious mage faced me with a small smile.

"As much as I would like to stay with you longer, I should report to my master first." he spoke softly.

I fidgeted on my spot. Well, it's not like I wanna be with him or anything like that... but I do have a lot of questions. I deserve an explanation from him.

"For now, let me assure you of one thing."

Haniel planted a soft kiss on the back of my hand.

"I'm on your side. Was, am, and will always be."

As his lips stayed on my hand, Haniel stared at me dreamily with his purple eyes. When he smiled to me, I felt his mouth stretching across my skin.

For a moment, it felt like I forgot to breathe.

He finally let go of me then entered through the door of the office without even knocking first.

When Haniel noticed that I stood rooted to my spot, he looked at me over his shoulder and the side of his mouth lifted. Once again, he stared at me rather affectionately before closing the door.

At that moment, I could only think of one thing.

That he looks at me the way Alistair used to.

A gaze of a man towards a woman, but more of a look filled with admiration and less of a look filled with desire. It was pure affection and fondness.

And, somehow, it alleviated a bit of my loneliness.

---

There's nothing happening at all.

That's what I realized while laying on the healthy grass under the oak tree. The air was humid and the skies were clear and blue, like they were enticing you to just spend your days idly.

Well, that's what I'm doing at the moment.

As much as I want to do something, there was no story progression, or at least none that I'm aware of. Life in the tower was nondescript. Moreover, I haven't had any crucial premonition of the novel.

The only thing that's different right now is the presence of Grand Duke Averill and his wife.

Other than that, it's awfully quiet.

Well, I suppose no news is good news.

As the clouds moved along with the wind, a ray of sunlight beamed on my face. My nose wrinkled in discomfort, but a familiar figure appeared above me and shielded me from the blinding light.

"I often wondered about the colour of your eyes, the tinge of your hair, and the shape of your lips." Haniel smiled. "But it seems my imagination has done you injustice. Your beauty is beyond words."

I stared at him, dumbfounded.

One side of his ebony black hair was tucked on his ear as he gazed down on me. The angle also emphasized his small face yet defined jaw.

I only noticed it now, but there was a tiny mole on the side of his eye. I couldn't see it before due to his hair covering most of the side of his face.

I gave him an unimpressed look. His compliment would've made my heart flutter if only he didn't have that ominous coffin behind him. Seriously, why does he keep on carrying that thing around?!

When the black-haired mage vacated the space beside me, I stared at him with a curious gaze.

"You must have a lot of questions." Haniel told me in a sonorous voice. "Ask me anything you want."

I grabbed my sketchpad and lazily wrote down.

Do you like me?

Haniel blinked consecutive times, as if he wasn't expecting my question to be so trivial. After a few seconds, he chuckled softly. "What do you think?"

His purple eyes focused on me, unmoving.

"What do you think?" He smiled. "Do I like you?"

When he got no answer from me, he continued.

"In a romantic sense, yes." Haniel confessed. "If you wish to know how, would you believe me if I told you that I fell in love with you at first read?"

At first read?

His answer made no sense. At least, to me.

However, amidst the rustling leaves and passing wind, my heart felt safe in the presence of this mysterious man I've never even met before.

---