His Midnight Shadow

Chapter Eleven

Once Ella arrives home she only has 2 hours before she heads out again for gym. She looked around for her father to check in with him but both his office and bedroom were empty, although his drawing station was still lit. So she sought to find Nathalie instead who was working in her office.

She appeared busy, so Ella only left her a note and slipped it onto her desk before returning to her room. She quickly headed for her phone as it sounded like someone was calling her but it was only the many notifications coming from people posting onto their instagram stories. She opened up the app to find people posting a large humanoid rock attacking the city of Paris. She didn't believe it was real at first until she continued to look at other peoples posts all from different angles and places of the same monster.

She rushed to her window to look outside and found many clouds of smoke littering the city but couldn't see the monster anywhere. She looked back again but on snapchat to see if the smoke matched with what she was seeing and it did. She tried to call Lila but she didn't answer so she began panicking and rushed back to Nathalie.

"Nathalie!" Ella yelled out of breath.

"Hang on a second." She muted her microphone then looked back at Ella. "I'm on a very important call."

"We are under attack. I don't know what that is out there but the city is filling up with smoke and people continue to post this monster destroying the city. Is Adrien here?"

"Slow down Ella. Now is this house under attack or is it just the entire city?"

"The city, but I don't know maybe the thing will come for us next! No one knows what it wants and how is the government going to take over a monster made of rock?"

"Hey, I'm sure we'll be okay. Remember those people that were jumping from building to building? I bet they could take care of it. Stuff like this has happened in America and they have superheroes who fight the battles as well."

"Yeah, you're right," She began to calm down but panic rushed through again. "What about Adrien? Where is he? Is he going to be safe?"

"Yes, he's at fencing practice right now at the school. He should be safe there and if anything happens or he goes missing it will be reported to me and your father. Don't worry Ella, everything will be fine alright."

"Alright."

"But your father just informed me he doesn't feel comfortable sending you out to the gym now. He doesn't want either you nor your brother out on the streets right now," Nathalie said then she turned back around in her chair. "But I really do need to get back to this. If you need me, I'll come to your room later after the call."

Ella nodded then left Nathalie's office with a soft click of the door. She headed downstairs dragging her feet instead of back to her bedroom. Looking into her father's office she found it isolated in the same way it was before. She scoffed, heading over to his sketch pad and searched for her folders.

Elenora's Designs was the first folder on the second page though she hated her father's refusal to call her anything else she was happy he allowed her to contribute lightly to the brand. She continued on a sketch she started three weeks before. It was getting close to her deadline but she wanted to make sure that the outfit she created was perfect for their streetwear collection.

She soon forgot about the outside world and was completely consumed with her work, each stroke as important as the last. It wasn't until she heard "If We Have Each Other" playing on her phone that snapped back into reality. She rushed to her phone and answered the incoming call from Felix.

"Ella! I just saw what was going on. Are you okay? Is that bastard keeping you safe?" Felix yelled from the other side of the phone.

Ella laughed, "I'm okay, don't worry about me but no sadly but when does he ever?"

"See and that is why my uncle is a bastard but at least I'm only related to him by marriage right. What about your brother though, little baby Adrien is probably dead already," Felix joked.

"I actually don't know what he is up to, he was in practice when it occurred."

"Well at least my favorite cousin is safe at home. I haven't talked to you at all this week, how are you?"

Ella walked over to a chair and took a seat, "I'm doing fine, sometimes it feels like it gets harder not easier."

"I'm sorry, I understand that. It was hard too when dad passed but now it's easier once you get past the big hard chunk of it. There's a train from London to Paris headed out in a week. If you need me, little cousin, I'll buy a ticket right now, just say the word."

"I would love for you to come out but I just don't want it to be too much on you. School just started."

"I'll take a long weekend. I know it's hard for you and I wanna make it easier, this crazy stuff going on right now is probably not helping either."

"Thank you Felix."

"Of course, Ella! Oh it looks like the monster was just defeated by two heroes," Felix began laughing.

"What's so funny?" Ella asked nearly, begging to laugh along with him.

"Their costumes just remind me so much of those stories. Remember the ones our mothers used to tell us?"

"Yeah actually I had that same thought too, weird isn't it?"

"Not really, later on my mom told me the full story."

"There's more to the story?"

"Isn't there always? But I can't tell you now, I'll call you back later or just tell you when I'm there. I have a class in... fifteen minutes," A clicking of a door was heard from behind Felix as he exited his house.

"Okay I'll talk to you then. Bye Felix, I'll talk and see you later."

"Bye Ella catch you later."

Ella hung up, setting her phone down on the glass coffee table in front of her. She stood up and imagined returning to her work but was startled when she saw her father standing in front of   the large painting of her mother as he cursed under his breath with his back towards her.

She quickly left before he turned around to face her. Ella was faced towards the door the entirety of her call with Felix but she never saw her father enter. It confused her but she paid more attention to leaving the room rather than the strange antics of her father. She didn't wanna be the one to make him more angered or the outlet of it.