Chapter 8: Chapter 8
—Ariana's Disappearance
200 B.C
Arem and Ariana just got married. They spent their honeymoon at Arem's house. Everything was perfect that day until one morning after the night of their honeymoon, she vanished without traces.
-------
Arem POV
I was still dreaming about my lovely wife even she's now on my side. My eyes were still glued together when my hands traveled beside me. I want to check if I was not in a fantasy world, that all of these were real, my new life as a married man with a pretty and lovable wife Ariana.
I frowned when I felt that my hands were touching the mattress but my wife wasn't there. I forcibly opened my eyes to see if she was just going to the bathroom.
" Ariana? My love! Are you in the toilet room?" I called her but when I got up to check if she was inside, I began to panic.
" honey? Please get out now, don't scare me as that " my lips quivered.
I could feel that someone showered me an ice-cold and my whole body shivered in the freeze. I'm afraid that Ariana left me but I know she can't do it because she's the kindhearted person I ever met in my life.
I ran out of our room and I tried to look at her in the kitchen, maybe she's making an early breakfast for us but when I came, I saw an empty table, no food was there so she never goes out to cook.
I felt horrible this time. I think I'm going to puke, realizing that my wife went missing.
I walked outside to see if she was in the backyard but still no sign of her. I clasp my head because I feel like it's gonna explode anytime from thinking crazy things about my wife. I don't know if she goes missing or someone took her while I was asleep.
" Ariana! Where are you?!? Ariana!!!" I yelled out her name in the whole neighborhood but my wife was gone.
I cried the whole morning inside our room. I don't know what to do and where to find her. I feel empty without her. I cupped my face and let those tears streamed down my face. I clutched my chest trying me take away the heavy feeling inside me like someone weighing on my chest. I could hardly breathe like I'm gonna collapsed anytime.
I want to ease the pain I was feeling right now. The only answer to my prayer was to end my life. I saw a chair and found a rope inside my cabinet. This was the only way to forget her. I closed my eyes after putting the rope on my neck. I climbed on the chair and stood there for a while. My legs trembled and my body froze to think that soon, I'll be a cold corpse inside our room. I'm trying to fight the anxiety and depressions which want to devour my sanity. My mind tells me to not do it or else I won't see my beloved wife forever but my compassion wanted to surrender.
" Don't kill yourself Arem or else Ariana will haunt you for the rest of your life..." That whispering voice keeps ringing inside my head.
I shook my head to let go of those negative thoughts inside me. I looked up at the sky outside my window, so pure and modest. How this sky be this calm while I feel broken?
----------
October 2020 ( Present )
Argus POV
*** A girl in a white dress was running away from me. She's simmering under the bright full moon. She was calling my name.
" Argus, come follow me!" Her soft and enchanting voice was so magical.
I opened my eyes and got up from my bed. I roamed my eyes to search for her and she was there sitting in front of me with a bright smile on her face. She was pretty as a fairy but I saw a glimpse of sadness in her grey eyes. Those thick lashes covered her gloomy eyes.
She smiled and waved her hands at me indicating that I must follow her.
" Come, let's go" she murmured and I did what she told me.
When she opened my door, I saw darkness going into the hallway downstairs.
I'm trying to catch up with her but she's running too fast.
" Hey, stop! Who are you?" I called her and I stop when she looked back at me.
It's a slow gesture of her but my lips parted when her face gradually change. Her luminous smooth face was now covered with white thick hair just like a wolf. Her small lips elongated and sharp teeth began to appear like fangs and her eyes whose grey became yellow. Her arms and legs dropped to the ground and her small fingers became claws.
My eyes stretched wide open and I feel like my body turned numb. I was tongue-tied and I can't even scream looking for help.***
-------
" Go away from me! Go away!" I was struggling on my bed.
I quickly opened my eyes and I found myself lying in my room. I looked everywhere to find the wolf-like girl but no one's beside me.
I feel relieved when I realize that everything was a dream. I pinch my cheeks.
" Ouch!" I whimpered after pinching my face.
I took a deep breath and drag my feet to the kitchen. My throat was scorched due to exhaustion from running inside my dreams. I check my fridge and what else can be found, only one pitcher of water, three less sugar beer, and one container of kimchi I brought in a convenience store last week. Because of my hectic schedule in my job, I forgot to go to the supermarket to buy groceries for myself.
I choose the beer so that I can go back to sleep easily. I feel fresh and full so I decided to go back to my bedroom. I slammed my back against the mattress of my bed. My mind drifted to Miss Anika Perez, the CEO of Perez Hotel and Resort. She looks-intriguing ng to me. I loved hard to get a woman like her. She challenges me, those fierce eyes and rough attitude make me want her more.
I smirked while imagining that curvy body of her. She reminds me of someone from my past.
I rolled my body on my bed trying to find a better position to help me sleep sooner. Tomorrow was another day and Anika Perez is another challenge for me.
-------
200 B.C
Ariana PoV
I screamed as my body floats in the air. I wiggled my feet and my hands from my sudden fall. I don't know what happened but when I opened my eyes, I saw darkness everywhere. I was shrouded by the opaque color surroundings.
--------
" Anybody here?" Ariana shrieked inside an empty shallow dark place.
She touches her face with her fingers and there's no thick fury skin anymore. Her crumpled face brightened when she realized that she was back to normal.
" I'm human again. At last! I'm human again!" She shouted in joy but how can she go out of this weird place. She felt like she was being trapped by someone's body or someplace with no rooms to escape.
She ran to find a way but she ran many fines and found herself in the same location where she stood earlier again and again. She felt weak. She crouched her body down and hold her knees. She wants to surrender.
" I'm tired now. I want to seep and hoping that when I wake up, I'm back in my husband's arms again. No room for fear and only happiness when I'm with him.
My poor Arem, I hope he's okay.
$