Embodied Hearts

THE ENCOUNTER

Chapter 2: The Encounter

The morning sun streamed through Amara's curtains, casting warm golden hues across her small bedroom. Despite the bright day, she felt weighed down by the strange events of the night before. She kept glancing at her wrist, half-expecting the glowing mark to reappear, but it remained unmarked.

Determined to shake off the unease, she decided to take a walk to the town market. It was Saturday, and the square would be buzzing with vendors and locals. She hoped the familiar bustle would drown out her restless thoughts.

As she wandered through the cobblestone streets lined with stalls, she felt a strange tug in her chest—a pull toward something she couldn't explain. Her steps slowed, and her surroundings seemed to blur for a moment.

That's when she saw him.

He stood at the edge of the crowd, leaning against a weathered lamppost. His tall frame was clad in a dark coat that seemed too heavy for the warm day. His hair was jet-black, slightly tousled, and his eyes—a piercing storm-gray—seemed to cut through the crowd as they locked onto hers.

For a moment, time seemed to stop. The noise of the market faded, and Amara felt like the world had narrowed down to just the two of them.

She didn't recognize him, but something about him felt hauntingly familiar.

He moved first, stepping away from the lamppost and weaving effortlessly through the crowd. Amara's breath caught as he approached her, his gaze steady and unreadable.

"Excuse me," he said, his voice deep and smooth, as he brushed past her.

The contact was brief, just the lightest graze of his arm against hers, but it sent a jolt of electricity through her. She froze, staring after him as he disappeared into the crowd.

"What the hell was that?" she muttered to herself, her heart pounding.

Shaking off the strange encounter, Amara continued exploring the market. She stopped at a stall selling handmade jewelry, her eyes drawn to a silver pendant with a spiral design eerily similar to the mark she'd seen on her wrist.

Before she could reach for it, a gust of cold wind swept through the square, making her shiver. The chatter of the crowd faltered as people glanced around, confused by the sudden chill.

Then, she saw it.

A shadow moved unnaturally fast across the rooftops, darting from one building to another. It was humanoid in shape but distorted, its edges flickering like smoke.

Amara's stomach twisted. She glanced around, but no one else seemed to notice the shadow. Her chest tightened as the figure dropped to the ground, its smoky form solidifying into something vaguely human but wrong. Its eyes glowed an eerie amber as it stalked toward her.

She stumbled back, her instincts screaming at her to run, but her legs refused to move.

The creature lunged.

Before the creature could reach her, a blur of motion intercepted it. Amara gasped as the man from earlier—Lysander—stepped between her and the monster.

His calm demeanor had vanished, replaced by something fierce and predatory. His eyes, now glowing faintly violet, locked onto the creature.

"I told you not to follow me," Lysander said coldly.

The creature hissed, lunging at him, but Lysander moved faster than Amara could follow. In one swift motion, he grabbed the creature by the throat and slammed it against the wall of a nearby building. Shadows seemed to ripple around him, his form blurring at the edges like he wasn't entirely solid.

Amara stood frozen, unable to comprehend what she was seeing.

With a low growl, Lysander pressed his hand against the creature's chest. Shadows surged from his palm, consuming the creature until it dissolved into nothingness.

He turned to face Amara, his expression unreadable.

"You shouldn't be here," he said, his voice steady but laced with something sharp.

Amara took a step back. "What… what was that? Who—what are you?"

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You're not ready for the answers to those questions."

"I think I deserve an explanation!" she snapped, surprising herself with her boldness.

He studied her for a moment, his gaze softening just slightly. "Stay away from me, Amara. It's safer that way."

Her heart skipped a beat. "How do you know my name?"

Instead of answering, Lysander turned and disappeared into the shadows, leaving Amara alone in the middle of the bustling market.

Her mind raced with questions, but one thing was clear: her ordinary life was over.