Chapter 15: Don't look at him in his eyes

The night was getting late, but Rakiza's friends gathered in their room. And they only had one topic for the night. They dipped into one topic, Teri. Muriel grumbled about her self-centered manner and boastfulness, aside from being rude. All three girls were hateful of Teri’s domineering attitude but not Rakiza's. She was drowning in deep thought and sorrowful feelings of loss. She vowed to know who destroyed her white rose.
"Rakiza, are you in or out?" all three girls inquired.
Rakiza replied, absentmindedly, "Of course I'm in."
"Then why are you so obsessed with that vampire rose?" Muriel grumbled.
"Forget about that vampire rose Rakiza." Chin showed certainty in her readings of the vampire rose Nikolas had gifted to Rakiza. Then she insisted that the rose uproot itself to escape from the jar, and everyone laughed and mocked her.
"Stop talking about that ridiculous thing, Chin. Let's talk about that egg-shaped head, Teri," Muriel said, raising her eyebrows, adding, "To be honest, I don't like her; how about you, Rakiza? What can you say about Teri? "
Rakiza replied, "Well, she's rich and proud," and there's nothing I can do about it. Who am I to pass judgment on her? "
"Obviously, she didn't like you, Raki," Susan said.
Rakiza shrugged. "She just can't accept that I won first place instead of her." To be honest, I felt sorry for her. Maybe she deserved to win, not me. Okay, girls, good night," she said as she moved to her bed and buried her face in her pillow. Something pricked between her breasts. "Ouch! What is it? " She mumbled as she turned her back on the source.
It was the gold necklace with a rose design pendant that pricked her. "Nikolas," she muttered.
Rakiza, "a man's voice whispered. It sounded like Nikolas.
"What?" Rakiza was surprised by what she had heard and asked, "Did you hear it, Muriel?"
"Hear what?" Muriel slurred sleepily.
"Someone is calling my name."
"It's getting late, Rakiza. Get some rest. "You might have important things to do tomorrow." She then fell silent.
Rakiza waited for another call, but heard nothing. As a result, she chose to sleep. She dozed off and was dreaming after a few minutes.
She had been in the castle again, and she was alone. She took a step forward and came to a halt in front of the castle's large door, which had opened for her. She dashed inside to find Nikolas, but he was nowhere to be found. As she ascended the stairs, she noticed that the wall above the stairs was empty.
"Where is Queen Maruja's painting?" She was really feeling as if the dream was real. Then she dashed upstairs and called out Nikolas' name.
"Nikolas! Nikolas! "Where are you?" She arrived at the terrace garden, where Nikolas greeted her with a smile.
"I'm so happy to see you here, my love," Nikolas held Rakiza's hands and then embraced her tightly and whispered, "I'm so glad to see you again, my love."
They began dancing with Nikolas' hands wrapped around her body. "Please, promise me to be with me forever."
"I will be yours forever, Nikolas," she said quietly as she closed her eyes.
Nikolas' tender kisses were becoming more frequent; his touch was so magical that she couldn't believe she desired him so much. But then he came to a halt and moved backward, releasing Rakiza from his embrace, and something pricked Rakiza's palm, and when she turned around, a white rose's thorn had pricked her, and a dot of blood sprouted from it, beginning in a small circle.
Rakiza screamed as the blood flood washed over her. And something hit her face.
Muriel slapped her. "Wake up, Rakiza!"
"Is that you, Muriel?" Rakiza was gasping for breath.
"Who else do you think? What happened? "
"What a nightmare."
"I was dreaming of Nikolas in the castle."
"Well, most of our dreams are odd. In any case, tell me about your dream with Nikolas, "Muriel exclaimed.
Rakiza was deafeningly quiet for a few moments. She was remembering every detail of her bizarre dream. And the first thing she remembered was the missing painting of Queen Maruja, the Queen Warrior of the East. The next thing she remembered was Nikolas and their intimate romantic dance. Her heart was pounding once more. "It felt so real."
"What is real?"
"I could still feel his kisses and caresses."
"Did he fuck you in your dream?"
"Stop it, Muriel," Rakiza said, a little embarrassed.
"Are you still a virgin?"
"Of course I am. I should choose the right partner in bed, and it should be my choice, not from peer pressure. "
Muriel wasn't sure what Rakiza meant. "What does it matter?"
Rakiza had become accustomed to some obscene sex issues since the first day she stayed at the dormitory. She had, in fact, attended a safe sex convention for adolescent girls. But not in real experience with a man.
"I get it," Muriel said, laughing. "Okay, here's some advice. Allow any man to touch your chest. "
"What? Why should I? "
"If a man's touch produces some kind of tickling current inside your stomach down here," that means. "You were made for each other."
"Are you kidding me?" Rakiza inquired.
"To be honest, I've been laid many times, but no one has ever brought out the erotic side of me," Muriel said as she quickly grabbed Rakiza's hands. "How did you feel about it?"
"Feel what?"
"Of course, what else? I was referring to Nikolas' kisses and caresses; how did you react to them? "
"I don’t know, but..." Rakiza said quietly.
"Go on, Raki."
"Something had made him stop doing it in my dreams."
"Who the hell had stopped him from making you a woman even in your dreams?"
"I don't know if it was just a dream; I had no control over it."
"Did you get wet?"
"You're disgusting," Rakiza said, as she took a towel from a shelf and entered the bathroom.
There were no students in the bathroom, so she moved quickly, stripped naked, and stepped under a shower rod, turning it on. When a sharp pain struck Rakiza's left palm, cold water began to shower her head and then down.
"Ouch!" "My palm hurts," she said before turning off the shower and inspecting her palm. Rakiza's pupils dilated as she noticed blood dripping from her palm. *How did this happen?*
Rakiza's thoughts were consumed by her pricked wound in her palm until after breakfast. She couldn't think of another reason for the pricked wound's appearance. She was left alone in the room after Muriel went for a walk with an admirer. She was staring at her palm when the knock on the door interrupted her solemn thought. She quickly rose to her feet and opened the dorm door, and Ambrosia reappeared.
"What now, Ambrosia?"
"Downstairs, a handsome, long-haired man is looking for you."
"Isn't that Theodulf Monsanto?"
"He didn't say anything about his identity. He only said he was your guardian and was waiting for you outside by the door." Then Ambrosia walked away, muttering, "You beat all the other rich girls, young girl."
Rakiza didn't bother combing her hair or applying makeup; instead, she dashed outside the dormitory in search of Theo and saw him leaning on the wall on the veranda. "Why are you here?"
"I needed to know you’re still here."
"And where do you think I am this early in the morning?"
Theo moved a bit closer to Rakiza, and Rakiza stepped back.
"What exactly is your purpose in being here, Theo? You’re in the exclusive girl's dormitory. "
"You're not paying attention. I'm here to guard you. "
"Please go away." Rakiza said grimly.
"No, I have to protect you; just ignore me here."
"I'm not going anywhere and have no intention of strolling outside the house, so you don't need to guard me, and please, Theo, stop playing games with me. It's not working. "
"Wait, I thought we were already friends."
We are simply collaborators on an art project. "
"Why do you truly hate me?"
"Ask yourself, arrogant man. Also, please stop bothering me. "
"Are you in a relationship?" Theo asked, his eyes darkening with his mood.
"It's none of your business, and to be honest, first impressions last, so leave."
"You've been deceived. You're under a spell," he said emphatically.
Rakiza's eyes were raised in disdain. "What are you on about?"
"Be cautious of men; not all of them are real."
"Are you attempting to impress me?"
"No, I'm just advising you not to listen to those enticing words and actions from a man."
"And to whom are you referring?"
"Your new boyfriend," Theo said, his stare piercing.
Rakiza was attempting to play Theo's game by telling a lie.
"Oh, yeah, I'm afraid I can't keep his identity secret from you."
"Don't look at him in his eyes," Theo warned again, adding, "What you might see was not as real as you think, and was ugly beyond imagination." He took a step backward.
Rakiza, who was standing there staring at him, said nothing.
"If you need help, just call my name," he said as he walked away.
Rakiza's expression was out of the blue. "I don’t your need help, Theodulf Monsanto."