VAIN | Inside the Universe

Chapter Five • Dark Swallow

There is only one part of me that could forgive myself, for in that moment it became clear that I would not only surrender mind, body, and soul, but I would bring the match to the flame.

The light eagerly drains itself of the room as our eyes meet. Fleeing in defeat, unable to define the enigma around us. Whether it is my own darkness that starts to consume the room or other dark entities that have come to find comfort in this milieu of sin is incidental. The room is painted a black darker than ink, ridding anything but the sight of each other.

There is one thing about true darkness that is the most shameful of all; It's vain in celebrating its purest form. And here it is, parading around the two of us like devoted specters.

The battle behind us is nothing but a faint babble, yet the sound of his breath takes the form of a neighboring eruption. I could taste the reminisce of his every sin as it dies to share itself with me. That taste, the smell of pure temptation, accessible to only those who look for it. It overwhelms my every sense to where I feel drowned--no--bathed in the ink that penetrates so endearingly.

He is enchanting to darkness, that is proven true as he takes his first step and all attention is put on his movement, as if the blackness of the room erupts in awe.

His stare finally leaves the depths of my eyes and shoots down to his foot, acknowledging it's amplified echo. The slightest movements from either of us are deafening, its noise consuming the entire room. To admit to the other causing such a sensation would be accepting a defeat before the first word is even spoken, and to that it seems he is fully aware.

The god walks towards me despite the consequence, slowly, yet without any apprehension. He would not let me know of the effect I have had, whatever it may have been to land us in this pitch black simulation.

His feet stop in booming confidence as he settles just out of reach, yet his stare closes any distance between us. His eyes rake over my body, slowly, greedily, as he assesses the nature of my presence.

A mischievous smirk had bloomed across his face by the time his eyes meet mine again. My breath hitches slightly and without any mindful effort, but it had become painfully audible to the god before me. Never had such an intensity been so subtle, and never had I ever been at a loss for words.

"Hi."

The word seems more amused than threatened at my entrance. Whatever he had found in his brief assessment had foully mislead him, but the hitch of my breath did not help. He was delighted to hear it.

There is a silk that flows from his voice. As deep and husky as it is, its sleek form has found a way to wrap itself around my neck, subtly and shamefully on my part compelling a response.

"Hi."

I breathed, cocking my head and slowly mirroring the smirk we wears so arrogantly. I take just a second to size him up myself, leaving the burning stare he seems persistent to keep.

He carries himself with an appreciation for dramatics, yet every action is part of a game and every cock of his eyebrow moves a piece on a chessboard. I run my eyes up and down his tall figure. As broad and rugged as it seems, his face is what encaptures me the longest. The ice blue eyes, the jawline that could cut me if I tried - it's a dangerous thing to be armed with and he knows it. He was handsome, yes, but he was nothing outstanding.

But it seems my response was a little too comfortable for the gods liking, like he was offended by my audacity to move a piece of my own. That face seemed to lose some ammunition to his evident frustration, but it didn't fall to anything less intimidating.

The presence of this darkness suddenly allows me to see the bar to my left, as if to direct my next move. If it is a game he wants, it is a game I will play.