>>Seraphina

Was it a dream?

I stared at the clean lounge of the apartment. There was no sign of blood or murder, or a body anywhere.

I honestly don't know which part of the night I fell asleep at

But

I looked back at the bedroom door. The doorknob was fixed too. And so perfectly at that that it got me questioning my sanity. Did I imagine everything that happened yesterday? Am I too stressed or something?

Eris walked out of the bedroom with a groggy look. Then stopped and looked around. She tilted her head

"What's wrong?" I asked her as I walked over to her

She frowned, "Um," I tamed her hair down with my hands, "Wasn't a bad man here?" She looked around the perfectly clean and organized apartment which was most likely confusing her.

Whenever dad came back and caused havoc, the aftermath was always there.

"Did you have a bad dream?" I caressed her hair and her eyes went wide but in realization and relief.

"That was a dream?" She let out a sigh of relief and a huge smile appeared on her face, "Whew!"

My heart melted and I felt awfully thankful.

"Yes," I pulled her into a hug, "You had a nightmare." I felt so much better, "That's all."

***

As I went about my routine tasks, meticulously cleaning the dimly lit club before the evening crowd arrived, a sense of unease lingered at the back of my mind. The memory of the violent confrontation from the previous night weighed heavily on me, casting a shadow over the mundane tasks that occupied my hands.

I had to come to work, I can't afford to have my pay reduced, so I wore a turtleneck to hide my injuries.

I was done mopping the floor when a fellow cleaner came to me, "Sera," He tapped my shoulder from behind scaring the shit out of me. I jumped as I turned around

"W-what?" I looked back at him in fear, which in turn caused him to get surprised too.

"Are you okay?" I made him confused too, "Why are you so jumpy?"

It was because of what happened just the night before, "Oh," I straightened myself up, "Sorry, my mind was elsewhere."

"Well," He didn't pursue the topic, "The boss is calling you in his office,"

Achill ran down my spine, and my heart skipped a beat.

Azef is calling me in this office?? "Why?" I asked but the other guy, Dustin, just shrugged, then he walked away.

Oh Gosh... What could he want from me? I did as he told me. I didn't leave my room till morning...

"He asked for you immediately," Dustin said to me as he kept walking away and my stomach churned.

I frowned but despite the fear gnawing at my insides, I knew I couldn't defy the command of my boss.

With trembling hands, I made my way to his office. The thought of facing Azef, knowing the truth of what he was capable of, filled me with a sense of dread.

I knocked on the door, "Come in," And received a reply immediately that made my heart skip a beat

Opening the door, I entered the dimly lit office, the air seemed to grow heavy with the weight of expectation. Azef's gaze bore into me, his eyes inscrutable as he regarded me with a mixture of curiosity and calculation.

"Come," He was sitting on his office chair but it wasn't behind his desk, it was near the guest couches, "Sit," He pointed at the single seater puffy.

I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat betraying the fear that churned within me. Despite my best efforts to maintain composure, the memory of the violence that had unfolded at his hands lingered like a specter, haunting the corners of my mind.

"Yes," I replied meekly and went to sit where I was told, "Why did you call me?" Though the fear still clung to me, I knew that I had no choice but to comply.

"You'll find out soon enough," He moved closer to me, taking his index finger and grabbing the top corner of my turtleneck. I didn't dare move, I didn't want to offend him and he pulled the neck down to see the marks behind them.

I winced as his scrutinizing gaze fell upon the wounds that marred my neck

"Hmm," His expression tightened with a mixture of concern and disapproval, as if silently chastising me for allowing myself to be placed in harm's way.

As he reached out to inspect the injuries, a shiver ran down my spine at the prospect of his touch. His fingers, calloused and sure, hovered over the delicate skin, eliciting a mixture of apprehension and anticipation within me.

I gulped as I tried to stay as still as I could.

But as his touch made contact, a surprising warmth flooded through me. His fingers were warm, warmer than human skin, and his movements were gentle. He moved his hand around with a gentle touch against the rawness of my wounds.

"Runy," He called someone.

"Yes Beta,"

Holy Hell!?!?!

Someone stepped forward from behind me, scaring the shit out of me. Where did this person come from?!?!? How long was she standing there for?!?!

"Call the doctor," His eyes dropped and he looked down but it seemed like he was actually getting lost in thought.

She nodded, "Right away,"

I watched her leave the room with my eyes wide in surprise. Then I turned to look at Azef, "The doctor?"

He gave me a soft nod, "Look," He raised his head to look at me, "I was rough with you, yesterday night,"

"Oh, that,"

"It was not my intention," He spoke a little more softly, "I apologize,"

My eyes went wide for a moment. I was not expecting that from him. His words actually did something to me.

It made me feel a lot better.

And I grasped the whole thing pretty fast, "It's okay," I looked down and joined my hands to fiddle with my fingers, "I got scared of you even when you were the one who stepped in and saved me." I didn't realize he had a side like this to him too.

"I," He started slowly, "Wasn't sure how to react after seeing you being scared of me."

OH...

"How could I not be?" I pursed my lips while we both sat across from each other, "That was terrifying."

"..." He didn't reply to me about that and I wondered why he even came.

"On the note, why did you come to the apartment yesterday?" I looked at him but he looked away. As if deliberately avoiding my gaze.

"You don't need to worry about that. I was there to confirm something else."

"Oh," I nodded, "I see," I guess he was in the area and noticed something wrong in the apartment.

There was a knock on the door, "Come in," Azef answered and a doctor stepped inside. Azef pointed at me, "Take care of her,"

"Yes," The doctor was a middle-aged chubby looking softie, "Right away." He came over and inspected my wound and immediately started working on it.

I glanced at Azef every chance I got, but he was looking elsewhere. He seemed to be lost in thought. And I had this huge urge to ask him what he was thinking about but I also knew I had no right to ask him about it.

He doesn't look as aggressive today as he did all the other times.

It's nice to know he has a softer side to him too.

***

"You don't have to do that," I stared at Azef while I stood outside his car, "I can go back on my own."

"It's fine," He replied as he sat in the driver's seat, "It's on my way, I'll drop you back."

He told me I can skip the night shift today and the money won't be deducted. I was extremely thankful for it, I don't get to spend any time with Eris because I do double shifts.

It'll be nice to spend time with her, especially after what happened yesterday. We both went to sleep hungry too. In the end our order never came, or maybe it did and seeing something awful happening, the delivery person went back, or he was sent back by the guys working in the apartment.

"But, you already gave me off-"

"Don't make me repeat myself," His gestured with his face, "Sit,"

...

I guess, it's fine. I'll get there faster like this too.

"Yes..." I opened the car door and took my place in the passenger's seat.

"Seatbelt," He kept his eyes on the road.

"AH!" I always take the bus, so it didn't even cross my mind, "Yes," I buckled myself in and he started the car.

***

The car ride to the apartment was quiet, neither one of us attempted to talk to each other and it felt awkward.

Thankfully, it wasn't a long drive and we reached the apartment complex pretty fast.

But dread tightened its grip around my chest as we approached the familiar street where my apartment stood. From a distance, the flickering flames leaped into the night sky, casting an ominous glow that illuminated the surrounding area. Panic surged through me as the realization sank in

Wait, what is that?

It didn't take me long to realize the apartment was on fire.

The car came to a stop as my heart sank. It was my apartment.

"No!" I rushed out of the car. My heart pounding with a primal fear unlike any I had ever known but Azef grabbed me, pulling me to a stop.

"What are you doing?" He grip was firm and I couldn't break through.

I looked back at him with anger, "Let me go," I hit his hand, "Let me go."

"Why?"

I pointed at the apartment, "Eris," The name tore from my lips in a desperate plea, "She's still in there!!"