The Sorcerer's Problem

“I’m not in the mood for a date–“

“That’s not up to you, is it?” Alexander said in a low tone. He just took out a gardening knife and cut a stem of rose with one sharp snip. The flower fell to the ground and Alexander stepped on it until it pulverized into pieces. The scene sent chills down my spine.

“What’s that flower ever do to you?” I asked. I had to. Because my inkling told me that Alexander pictured me as that flower. How he crushed the poor thing so easily was similar to how he tried to put me down mentally.

Alexander put in the scissor back to his front pocket then turned to me. “What a flower does,” he said slowly, “It entices me.”

“If it gives you pleasure, shouldn’t you savor it?”

He clicks his hand and suddenly we were not in the garden anymore. The garden turned into a room dominated by black color. Black walls, black furniture, even black sheets on the bed, and black curtains. A gap from the curtain told me that they were on the second floor because the garden was seen below the room. The garden scissor laid on the ground just like that but there was no one near it.

I blinked.

“Did you just teleport me?”

“I did.”

Alexander was still in the same black suit and he stared down at me as if he would eat me for dinner. Then he started taking off his jacket suit and loosening up his belt.

“W– what are you doing?” I panicked. What was this guy trying to do?

He stopped his movement and looked at me with such a menacing stare. “I’m doing what you’re doing on all the princes’ dates.”

“What?”

“You have sex with all of them, Ari,” he said. “Not wasting time since you found out the natural attraction, hmm? So let’s just get on with it, shall we? Let’s just have a good time.”

For a second, I only froze. Then I realized that he was insinuating for me to sleep with him right then and there. His words cut me just like a knife to a cheese, an easy and clean cut.

For a second, I only stared at him in disbelief.

“What happened to you?” I asked.

He stopped his movement, looking at me with furrowed brows. His shirt was only half undone but his belt was out of the way.

“Xander,” I said, more like a whisper, “You were never this cruel to me before.”

Before I could hear his response, I quickly turned on my heels and headed to the door. My mind was muddled with mixed feelings. I reached out to the doorknob but suddenly, I heard a clicking sound, and the doorknob was gone in front of me.

I blinked several times but the doorknob was still missing. In a panic, I felt the door, searching for the doorknob, thinking that maybe it just got invisible. When that was not the case, I turned to Xander with a glowering stare. I knew right from the bat it was his doing.

He chuckled lightly, seeing my stare. “Ari, you’re in the presence of an immortal sorcerer. You should be afraid to give such a menacing glance.”

“What? Are you going to pucker my eyes out for it?” I didn’t even know where I got the courage to speak up to him. But Xander was getting annoying for me with all his mean words. It was not like I signed up to be the Lady. It was not my goal from the start to be the one these four princes must win over.

Hell, Xander was the one who marked me in the first place.

“What is your problem, exactly?” I asked him straight to his eyes.

He stepped towards me and I found my back against the wall. I had nowhere else to run. The room was magically sealed and in front of me was exactly like Alexander said, an immortal sorcerer who had lived for over three thousand years. The fear just crept out on my skin and to my spine as Alexander drew closer to me.

“My problem?” he asked, laced with a growl.

I knew it was his angry tone. He never yelled at me. But whenever he got angry, he would do this low tone and piercing gaze until his victim squirmed, saying sorry to him even if it wasn’t the victim’s fault. That day, I was his victim.

I kept my chin up, meeting his gaze. I was not apologizing for something I didn’t do. I would not apologize for something beyond my control.

My fists were clenched behind my back. I tried so hard to stop myself from trembling. I would not give him the satisfaction of seeing me in fear of him.

*Immortal sorcerer? Tch. I am not afraid!*

But when he put one hand on the side of my face and leaned down to me. When I could feel his fiery breath blowing to my skin and see his eyes from up close. “My problem is you, Ari,” he whispered.

“My problem is you,” he repeated. He reached to my cheek and caressed my face softly. His gaze softened too as he leaned closer so that his lips were only hovering slightly on top of my lips. “I wanted you all for myself. But you slipped from my fingers and you’re playing with the boys.”

I could only blink.

“I still want you,” he said, “all for me. I don’t want anyone else touching or even being near you.”

Then I gulped. “You mean you want me to crown the Dark Lord for yourself?” It was a bold question. His sweet words had always been laced with veiled intentions. I was determined not to get swayed easily. Still trying to hold my trembling, I held his stare so that he wouldn’t pay attention to my already slightly shaking knees.

“Is that what you think?”

“How am I supposed to think then?” I asked again. “You knew about the cycle since the beginning. You knew about the prophecy before the others did. You got close to us–the Ladies–only for the crown.”

I thought it was only my imagination but Xander froze with my words. His eyes widened a little before he regained his composure. “You don’t know that,” he said with a slightly hoarse voice, “You don’t know the entirety of my story.”

“Talk then,” I whispered back, “Make me understand.”

Not even a second had passed since my words left my mouth, Alexander crashed his lips to mine. His lips felt hot and burning. The impact caught me off guard.

“Hmph!” I was about to push him away but then I blinked…

…and when I opened my eyes, I was hundreds of feet above the ground. The wind blew on my face harshly that it hurt my cheeks. My black hair kept swaying to my eyes, hindering my view–

*Wait… black hair*… I had black hair…

“Kira,” called someone behind me. When I turned around, I saw Alexander dressed in a thick fur coat. He was smiling at me and he looked at me so tenderly.

A voice appeared in my ear. A whisper. “Let me show you how it all started,” the voice said. But when I turned around again, all I could see was the vast light blue sky covered in cotton-like white clouds. I then looked at where I was standing. It was a freaking air balloon.

“What’s wrong?” asked Alexander. But that person could not be the Alexander I knew, because the person standing with me in the air vehicle looked so… kind.

“What year is this?” I asked him.

“1783.”