There are only chosen things in this world that are enchanting by pure nature. The moon. The rain. His eyes.

His eyes were one of those wonders.

We were floating in the air, in the middle of the grand hall, slowly twirling in between the bright rays of the outside day and the twinkles of the chandelier, floating in each others silent but sure arms. 

His ice-blue petals remained on my darker orbs, and I could not look away at all. It was like there were stars sparkling in his eyes, the world was dark and cold and only this man was warm and safe. I wanted to remain there... floating around the old mansion. In his arms.

"Miss Garde—"

The exquisite-looking man's eyes sharpened in a second before he glared towards the source of the voice.

My eyes, full of bubbles, immediately blinked in alarm when a black substance began to flow from the corner of the man's eyes... then his lips...

What? What's happening to him?!

"She's my destiny."

A loud guttural voice suddenly ripped through the air in the hall, echoing off of the tall walls and bouncing back to me and my wide eyes.

The voice. They were someone else's... definitely someone else's... but it was actually my mouth that had opened to let them out!

"She must stay with me."

Again.

Again I felt my lips move and yet it was not my voice that came out but an entirely alien one. A grown man's voice... a voice that sounded like it wasn't used often.

"I understand quite well, Adam. Go back inside now. You know quite well you're still suspended to confinement during the day."

My... my destiny?

As if my thoughts were actually whispers tickling the skin of his ears, the translucent man's head slowly turned in my direction. His eyes which reminded me of two deep pools of the Pacific Ocean, stopped at me.

"How old are you?"

I blinked. Once. Twice.

"Does it matter?" Then finally replied, with a weak smile. Thankfully this time my own voice echoed around the walls. We were still floating. The dark liquid trickled down his cheeks.

Still, I was too muddle-minded to think. Actually, it was more so tunnel-minded than muddled. I could think, surely I could... but the sole thing rotating in the containment of my brain was the two words spoken by him.

My destiny...

His eyes too. What was it something about the two orbs?

It had been years since I received the vision. Years since I had seen creatures that walked the living world but were not truly a part of it. It was not to say that I had never met ancient or powerful beings, but I  had never been mesmerised by one like this. Like I had no walls, no barriers, no defence.

My destiny...

Just what was it about this ... ghost?

My desti...

My breath hitched in my chest.

Realisation slowly seeped into my pores, slowly creeping into the crevices and into my chest. The tips of my fingers began tingling, the rims of my wide eyes immediately reddened and I felt my chest start to heave.

"Soul..mate?"

Then, just like that, everything cleared... like a breath of fresh air. Bright light poured into my vision, engulfing me into nothingness. Then so... everything went quiet.

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The spring breeze blew gently, tickling the branches of the old trees until gentle leaves twirled along with it. Slowly descending onto the green grass and bringing with it the scent of roses. Up above, the sky had begun melting into shades of blood and blue. Slowly but surely the sounds of crickets replaced the cicadas' melody.

As the light faded quietly and a moonless night arrived, the manor began to light up one space at a time. The grand hall was quiet, the magical chandelier now dazzlingly lit and even more exquisite. Underneath it, a large black couch now sat, and on it was an unconscious young woman with ebony hair carefully spread behind her. It was me.

I wasn't one to so easily lose consciousness. Even when scared out of my wits or so greatly shocked, I had never fainted before. Was I... lacking sleep?

As the silence became clearer, and the twinkling lights brighter, the first thing I opened my eyes to was the obscured reflection of myself in the dazzling chandelier.

A turn of my head and the outside sunset seemed like a painting beyond the tall windows. Oranges, pink, and blue...

A soft pain pulsed above the bridge of my nose and the smooth skin between my eyes folded together in an attempt to ease the discomfort.

"I...."

"Oh Gardenia, thank goodness you're awake. I was so worried after you walked in and suddenly fainted!"

Suddenly... fainted?

My forehead creased in confuson, flashing eyes focusing on the worrier-looking lady before me as I silently began to trace over everything in my memory.

"The... ghost?" I spoke slowly. The icy blue eyes fluttered across my eyes, like a memory drenched in tea and snow. My lips trembled. I couldn't help but look around the large room. The ghost... his eyes... that feeling... wasn't he my soulmate?

"What ghost?" She genuinely looked confused. I watched the crinkled corners of her eyes, and for a second even believed her. Almost.

"Did you have a dream?"

My mind began moving a mile a minute. The sting on the base of my neck was proof that whatever I had experienced was real.

There was something going on there. Why was I being lied to all of a sudden? Just what was the purpose of me coming here? To find out that my soulmate was long dead?

The unworldly face draped across my mind once again, and my heart jumped in my chest.

It was really unfair.

If he had to be dead, couldn't he be ugly? Why did he have to be dead and good-looking?

I suddenly had this irrational desire to see him again. To see those electrifying eyes, the pale sharp jaw... it wasn't fair. If he had to be my soulmate... why did he have to be dead? And if he had to be dead... why did we have to meet?

Because now that we had met... how was I going to forget about his existence and move on?

Lord... I felt like a pervert. It was definitely not normal to feel attracted to a gh— I didn't complete the sentence. It would be disrespectful of me to do so knowing there were harmonious matrimonial relationships between humans and the dead.

My mind went to the sharp stinging that was still burning against my neck.

It would be disrespectful of me to continue knowing that now I too was bound to one. An extremely handsome one.

"I suppose I really was dreaming," I suddenly chucked.

I gave the tall woman an embarrassed smile.

"I guess I was a little excited because of the stories."

I wasn't sure if she believed me, but I decided I was going to let her continue doing whatever she was doing. I didn't know what she wanted, but I was sure she knew that there was a very powerful ghost living here. I was sure she knew just who I was to him. But I wanted to know why she was pretending everything was a dream...

Feeling relieved, the beautiful deity of fate sat back down on a golden chair that was placed right by the sofa.

"There is no need to be afraid, Gardenia. The estate is extremely safe. You're well-protected here."

The back of my neck began to erupt in a dozen goosebumps. I was hyper-aware if the grand staircase behind me which led up to the large portrait. Him.

I cast aside the eerie feeling of being watched from behind and smiled softly at the deity of fate who was silently observing me.

"I'll trust you then."

Then my gaze turned a little chilly.

"But I'd like to know why you've brought me here. What life-changing proposition do you have for me, ma'am?"

The lady looked amused. A sparkle of laughter wrinkled the corners of her lips before she cleverly hid it in a smile.

"It's very sweet of you, but just call me Moira, please."

Thankfully she wasn't one to stall.

"If I told you that you could own this estate for no money at all, what would you say?"

I blinked.

Well of course... the owner is my soulmate...

Still, I didn't let her see my large head and maintained my humbleness.

"I would ask you why me."

Moira looked quite amused. 

"Because it is so fated."

I couldn't stop an amused smile of my own.

"By you?"

"That is correct."

"Can I ask why this estate has to be sold to me?"

"The current owner doesn't harbour good feelings for this property and wishes to sell it in order to be rid of it, but it can not land in anyone else's hand except yours."

The corner of my eyebrows tilted up, "and why me?"

"Because I chose it to be you when you were born."

The tall woman stood up, a sort of divine light spread all around her very being and I stared up at her in wonder, unable to move from my position. At that moment she looked every bit a goddess, an unworldly being devoid of any worldly inferiority.

Her eyes crinkled with warm amusement as she bent down elegantly and placed her slender fingers on the side of my head, gently caressing my hair.

"I chose you, child. It is your fate. So it must be you and only you."

"Okay."

I agreed.

Surprisingly, as soon as I uttered the word my entire world became clearer. Vivid.

It felt like the fog that had been hanging around my soul vanished into thin air. The colours looked stronger, and the sound of the chandelier swaying and jiggling in the evening breeze became clearer.

"I will take your words as a promise then." The tall, beautiful goddess grinned and pulled her hand up, materialising with the movement a set of papers and a cell phone.

"Please sign these property papers while I make a call."

I looked down at the papers with wide eyes. If someone had told me on this day, last year, or even yesterday... that I was going to have such a large turnover in my life... I would have probably passed away. From laughing.

Life really does do a 360 in the most unexpected of times. I had found my soulmate today. Someone, I hadn't thought I would ever recognise in this lifetime. A soulmate who turned out to be an extremely powerful ghost. The most powerful ghost I had ever seen. He had all his human features intact. In fact, he seemed too powerful to even be a ghost. And then I was being given his entire estate for free.

"Yes, Mr Ohalm, I have found a buyer. Yes, they are willing to pay upfront. Would you like to meet them before we sign it off? Ah..."

Moira turned to glance at me, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"She seems to be a bright young woman.Yes. Yes. Sure, sir. Are you sure you would not like to visit the estate and meet her before sig— yes, Mr Ohalm. I'll get it signed right away. Congratulations."

The phone disappeared right before my eyes, and Moira's sparkling eyes looked at me brightly.

I, on the other hand, was too focused on other things. "Um... how are we going to pay the current owner?"

Moira's lips trembled in amusement, "I don't believe I owe you money."

I felt my face flush at the teasing.

"The previous legal owner has already been paid 23 seconds ago. As for this estate, you have the rest of your life to find out. Although, I should let you know that there are 35 workers on the property. Two gardeners, three cooks, one head estate manager, four housekeepers, three security guards, and the remainder of the staff work in the back flower farm and winery."

"How... um... so how would I be able to keep this estate running as an unemployed University student?"

"You don't have to worry about anything except living here in peace, child." Moira's arm once again extended, but this time to rub the wrinkles in between my eyes.

Her soft knowing smile told me there was more to this than I was being made aware of. To be honest It wasn't beyond me to think this scenario was too good to be true. In actual human life, this would either never happen, or happen with the intention of hoodwinking, scheming, and evil. No one gets handed an estate for free. Even by a goddess.

And in addition to that, in the human world, no one would enter a deal without knowing just why it was being made. What's the purpose? Why does this estate need to be sold? Why does the current owner want to get rid of it? Why shouldn't it fall into anyone else's hands?

My mind wandered to the man I had just met a while ago. Was it because of him? Because he wanted to stay anonymous? Because he wanted to play hide-and-seek?

At this thought, I couldn't help but let the corners of my lips curl in a cruel shape. My head remained down, staring at the papers as I signed in marked areas one after another, patiently.

"Congratulations!" Noticing my signature on the last place required, Moira smiled, extending her arm in an expectant manner. I stared at her quietly for a second before pursing my lips and nodding.

"Thank you, thank you!" My lips curled into a smile. "It's an honour to have fate personally give me a house."

A sweet pearl of laughter suddenly echoed around the grand walls of the room. Her voice was just as majestic as her entire being. A soft glow covered her once again like a blanket.

"Gods don't make deals on paper, dear. That's for humankind. We make agreements in blood. Put your left hand forward."

The woman felt quite tall all of a sudden, I craned my neck back to stare into her dazzling eyes. She extended her slender arm towards me, sharp fingers reaching forward until finally, her index finger pointed at me.

I would be lying if I said I wasn't scared. I was afraid... of the unknown. My eyes flickered to hers. I suppose she saw the fear in my eyes because her smile turned a notch softer and she beckoned me gently with a reassuring nod.

Slowly I lifted my hand. My gaze moved to my own fingers, my clipped nails that thankfully were short and clean. Slowly but surely my own fingers lifted and I froze when the tip of my index finger finally pressed against her own.

"I'll begin." Moira smiled, and just like that, the glow around her being began to slowly move towards me, like water. My hand began to glow. Soon a thin thread of blood twirled out of my skin and flew toward her, merging into her skin.

But my wide eyes weren't really there.

Instead, I was staring at the blood-red thread wrapped all around my fingers and wrist. Thick blood-red thread that was also floating in the direction of the stairs... to the being who was probably watching from inside a portrait.

It wasn't a dream. What happened earlier definitely wasn't a dream.

I was so busy looking a the red thread, I even failed to notice a new stream of dark red, — almost black — blood flowing into my pores.

"Good girl."

My eyes fluttered and I looked back up at the deity.

"You must be tired. Why don't you rest the night here and return tomorrow? The new professor is going to arrive earlier than expected so it's better you move in tomorrow as well."

"Oh," I mumbled awkwardly, "It's alright, I think I should leave tonight and move in tomorrow."

It happened so quickly, the change in the air.

If someone would have blinked, they would miss it completely. But to me it was very clear. The heaviness that suddenly surrounded me, like it took twice the effort to just breathe. To think.

The feeling was quickly becoming familiar to me. Like a brand of cigarette with a unique kind of poison.

My eyelashes fluttered at a slow realisation. Was he back?

"Will I see you again?"

I was starting to feel a little dazed, but even under the oppressive allure of the mist that was my ancient soulmate, I was still able to understand that it was not easy to meet deities whenever one wanted. But I didn't know who else would be able to answer all these questions I had.

"You will see me very soon, Gardenia, and at that time I'm sure the day will be a lot clearer than today."

Day will be clearer?

Despite myself, I nodded dumbly.

"Here is your copy of the document, and here are the keys." Moira extended her arm again and the two objects blew into her open palm. As if the evening breeze brought them along with it.

"Ruth!"

"Yes, miss!" A short plump young lady came skittering into the room, her yellow floral dress fluttering behind her as she moved.

It was foolish of me to think so but I was somehow under the impression that the mansion was empty. Perhaps it was because I hadn't seen anyone except Moira ever since I had arrived.

But the knowledge that there were other people around in the estate was comforting. I wasn't alone here with ghosts and goddesses, there was still a bridge to the normal world.

"Ruth this is Miss Gardenia, the new owner of the estate. She will be moving in tomorrow, so please prepare the mansion accordingly and slowly familiarise her with estate activities and such. I will be gone for a little while and will be back next thunder."

"Well," She turned to me again with a smile, "It was enchanting meeting you. Let us meet again soon."

"It was an honour meeting you as well, Moira. Thank you."

I didn't know what to say to her. How to express what I wanted to convey, or what exactly I even wanted to convey. I just knew that I was not against what happened today... that I was even somewhat grateful. Although a ghost, I was not alone anymore. I had someone walking this earth... who I could call... family.

"It's a little late, would you like me to prepare a room for you, ma'am?"

"No, prepare a car for her to be taken to her dormitory please, Ruth."

A car? Ah, foolish to assume an estate doesn't own car—

The startled sound from the young girl's mouth broke me out of my train of thought. I immediately looked up at the gentle round-faced girl who had been standing by the entrance until that very moment.

With wide tense eyes, her gaze darted between Moira and me.

"I-I believe we should very quickly..." All of a sudden she stopped.

I observed her silently as she began silently staring right behind me with wide ominous eyes.

"Well, urgent commitments require my attention. I believe you will be able to handle everything splendidly, Gardenia. Let's meet soon."

Before I could reply, the deity vanished into a wispy stream of black and silver light. I could only blink dumbly for a few minutes, shocked at the sudden abandonment.

Just today morning, I was a simple University student with nothing to my name. And now I had a ghost soulmate, and was the owner of a mansion estate with more than 20 that needed management?

No matter how I thought about it, I knew I needed some space and time away from this place to think about it clearly. Somewhere away from the high that I felt being close to being here.

After a moment's silence, I could only bring myself to drop my shoulders with a sigh and speak out.

"It's okay, I can call for a cab."

Just then another sound echoed around the otherwise silent walls of the mansion.

"Hey, why isn't the front door opening?!"

It wasn't long before a middle-aged man with a boyish smile and sandy brown whiskers appeared behind Ruth.

He glanced behind me, but unlike Ruth, smiled cheekily and shrugged, "Oh, I see."

"Hello miss, I'm the head of this estate, the name is Cain." He smiled politely before turning around, "Come, miss. I will arrange a ride for you."

"Thank you," I replied quickly, noticing that this man seemed unaffected by the power the dead owner of this estate held.

Hurriedly, I also added, "The quicker I am able to go to my dorm the quicker I am going to be able to return."

"Quite true!" Cain's voice echoed around the suddenly dead-silent walls of the mansion as he disappeared behind the wall.

Ignoring the suffocatingly demanding presence behind me with as much strength I could muster, I lifted my feet one at a time and began to follow behind the tall man.

How I managed to walk out of the mansion, I have no clear memory of anymore. However, when we reached the front door, Cain managed to easily twist it open.

Cool air rushed against my face, and only then did I realise just how hot my face was. Goosebumps ran along the back of my neck in response and I gulped down greedily on the clearer air outside the mansion. It felt like my mind was washed away magically. A dull ache in the base of my neck was also much weaker despite the strange tingling of my fingertips as I reached up to touch the spot.

"I will drop you, miss," Cain pointed towards the dark SUV standing at a distance.

For a second I stared quietly at the sleek black body of the vehicle and the afternoon sky slowly reflecting on it, before finally stretching my feet forward and walking towards it.

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"When would you like to be picked up, miss?"

This was the first sentence Cain had spoken to me since we driven out of the estate grounds. Amusingly it was also when the vehicle had finally stopped in the university's parking lot.

There was no conversation in the 20 or so minutes worth of drive from his side, and I too was comfortable in the silence. In fact it somewhat gave me time to digest just what had happened and what that meant for me and my future.

As the shining street lights flashed by one by one, and the wet road that reflected the dazzle turned into a blur outside the car's passing speed... I smiled. What was the difference between me and Nadine now?

She was a ghost bride... and now I too was nothing short of that. Ha... well at least my soulmate looked much more approachable than her's.

"Will 2PM be alright? I have a morning class to attend." I replied politely.

I was going to have to work closely with him from hereon, and having the role that I now had... for the first time in my life, I cared about public opinion and didn't want to be badly received in the estate.

"Very well! I will wait in front of the teacher's cottage then. Have a good night, miss." Cain nodded respectfully.

And that was the end of the conversation. It was clear he was not one for nonsensical conversation and over-the-top flattery. He kept the conversation on topic, not a point more and not a point less.

I watched the vehicle roll down the campus street silently. When the lights became a tiny blur, I turned around with a sigh, feeling a heaviness that had been sitting on my shoulder till then slowly melting away in the familiar surrounding of my campus.

It wasn't much, and it wasn't mine... but it had been home for me for a few years now. Somehow reaching the campus, no matter how much riddled with ghosts it was, somehow made me feel safe.

The door of the cottage swung open gently under my fingers and I took a step in, slipped out of my shoes, and placed the pair on the rack. Sliding into my grey indoor slippers, I flicked on a random light and began to walk straight towards the shower, letting my bag and the documents fall on the couch with a muffled thud.

The silence in the little apartment was comforting against the soft lights, as I walked out of the hazy bathroom — hair dripping warm water that slowly slid down and soaked into the black towel wrapped around me.

As I padded my way lazily to the bed area which was separated from the other spaces by a bookshelf I had filled with books I had read or designed covers for, I gently pat my wet cheeks out of habit.

My gaze turned to the pair of bedclothes I had placed on the bed out of habit before leaving the house earlier. I smiled thankfully for the peculiar hyper-planning habit I had. In times when I was too tired at night, this habit served me well.

My feet stopped before the full-length mirror just as they always did, but this time instead of reaching for my face cream... I found my entire body frozen on spot instead.

My lips parted in shock, a trembling breath of air slipping out of it as I stared at myself in the mirror. Stared at myself...

Stared at myself... and the pale arms slowly wrapping around me... one around my waist... and the other crawling its way to my neck.

I stared at myself... the pale fingers around my neck and chin... the pale chin placed over my head... and the incredibly amused smirk on the surprisingly rosy lips.

"Finally."

If you are eyeing Kai more, I see you all naughty naughty 👀