I hadn't seen Vincent since his return, since the pool incident that seemed to have driven a wedge between us. It was as if he'd found a way to always avoid me, leaving me lost and uncertain about our situation. I couldn't help but wonder if he needed me or if I could even make a difference in his life. The truth was, I didn't think he was ready for change - or if he even wanted it. It was foolish of me to think I could be the catalyst for that change.
Despite my concerns, I reminded myself that his struggles weren't my business. I'd known him for what felt like a fleeting moment, and yet I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. He wasn't himself, and the silence between us was deafening. I felt like I was walking on eggshells, never knowing when he'd lash out or shut down entirely.
I'd forgotten my place for far too long, and Vincent had been gracious enough not to call me out on it. But the uncertainty between us was suffocating. Could I even dare to call us "us"? I felt like a small, insignificant part of his life, unable to comprehend why he'd let me in. Was it pity, or something more?
"Bloom?" Lily's voice snapped me out of my thoughts, her brow furrowed in concern. "Are you okay? You've been zoning out a lot lately."
I forced a smile, trying to reassure her. "Yeah, I'm fine."
Lily raised an eyebrow, her expression skeptical. "You can't lie to me, you know that, right?"
I sighed, knowing she could see right through me. "Don't worry, he'll come around," she said, trying to reassure me. "Just give him some time."
But I wasn't so sure. "He doesn't have to," I replied, feeling a pang of uncertainty.
Lily shook her head, her expression enigmatic. "Master sent Adriel to come get you."
My heart skipped a beat. "Why? Where?" I asked, surprised.
Lily's shrug was noncommittal. "I don't know why, but I think it's the office."
I remained on the couch, hoping for more information, but Lily didn't offer any. "Come on!" she said, her voice firm but gentle. "It's probably an emergency."
I reluctantly stood up, my mind racing with questions. What could Vincent want with me?
A few minutes later, I found myself in the car with Adriel, speeding towards the office. Adriel looked tense and serious, which was unusual, except when he was around Vincent. The fact that he was driving so fast was also unsettling. Something was off.
We arrived at the office, and as we walked in, Vincent's head raised from the desktop. Mrs. Mia was standing beside him. I greeted her with a slight bow, unsure of what to say to Vincent. The room was tense, and I didn't want to risk saying something wrong. Vincent called me to his side, probably to take a look at the desktop screen.
"Can you hack it?" he asked, his voice firm and tense.
I scanned the screen for a few seconds. "Yeah, I think I can," I replied. It had been a while since I'd had something challenging to hack, and I was pumped up for it.
Vincent stood up and ushered me to sit, standing behind me as I worked. Mrs. Mia and Adriel watched intently. I quickly began to work my way through the system. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" Vincent asked Mrs. Mia.
"Leave her to it," she replied.
It was a whole organization's information, and I had to hack into the system. It was no easy task. It had been a while since I'd had to crack something this big. Nearly an hour later, I finally managed to get through it. Something about the company felt familiar, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.
I couldn't look into it much because as soon as I was done, Vincent took over. Everyone looked relieved, except Vincent, who was quiet, as usual. He couldn't even muster a "thank you" or "good job." Soon, Mrs. Mia left, and I followed Adriel out of the office.
We wandered around the company for a bit until we bumped into Kai. "Blossom!" he exclaimed, pulling me into a hug. "I haven't seen you in a while."
"Yeah, I've been a little busy," I replied with a smile.
Kai's colleague yelled at him to hurry up. "Kai, hurry over here!"
"Oh, great," Kai said, rolling his eyes. "Now I have to go. See you around?" he asked.
"Maybe," I replied.
Kai nodded at Adriel before turning to leave. "Have you seen our forge?" Adriel asked, turning to me.
"No, I don't think so," I replied, shaking my head.
"Alright then, what are we waiting for?" Adriel said with a grin.
As we walked around the forge, Adriel explained the process of forging, pointing out different techniques and tools. We stopped in front of a large furnace, where a group of workers were busy hammering away at glowing hot metal.
"This is one of our largest furnaces," Adriel said, gesturing to the massive structure. "We use it to heat the metal to extremely high temperatures, making it pliable and easier to shape."
I watched in fascination as the workers expertly crafted a beautiful sword. "It's amazing how much skill and precision goes into creating something like this," I said, turning to Adriel.
He nodded in agreement. "Yes, it's a delicate process. But the end result is well worth it."
As we continued to chat, Adriel mentioned Lily, and I couldn't help but smile. "So, how's everything going with you two?" I asked, curious about the progress of their relationship.
Adriel's face lit up with a warm smile. "It's going great. We're really happy together."
I was thrilled to see the both of them so in love. I had known they had feelings for each other long before they started dating, and it was wonderful to see their relationship- "blossom", literally hehehe.
After a while, Adriel suggested we grab some food. We walked to a nearby café, chatting quietly as we went. Over sandwiches and coffee, we continued to talk, Adriel was mostly talking about his college days and I have to say they sounded quite interesting.
Just then, the door to the café swung open, and Vincent walked in. His eyes scanned the room, locking onto us with an intensity that made my heart skip a beat. He walked over to our table, his presence commanding attention.
Adriel and I fell silent, the air becoming tense once again between Vincent and me. Vincent took a seat, his eyes never leaving mine.
The silence was oppressive, and I struggled to think of something to say. But before I could come up with anything, Vincent's phone rang. He answered, listening intently to the person on the other end.
After a brief conversation, Vincent hung up and turned to us. "Let's go," he said, his voice firm.
Adriel and I exchanged a questioning glance, but Vincent's expression was unreadable. We reluctantly got up, leaving our unfinished food behind, and followed Vincent out of the café.
The car was silent as Vincent drove, his expression unreadable. I couldn't guess where we were headed, but I had a bad feeling about it. The tension in the air was palpable.
It was already getting dark as the street lights lit up, I decided to busy myself with the reflection of images that flashed as we passed.
Before I knew it, Vincent pulled up at a familiar place - the same location where he'd taken me when he kidnapped me. My heart sank, and I felt a wave of anxiety wash over me. This was the last place I wanted to be.
Vincent and Adriel hopped out of the car, but I remained seated, praying they'd let me stay behind. "Aren't you coming?" Adriel asked, looking at me expectantly.
I shook my head, trying to convey my reluctance. "I don't want to," I said, looking up at Vincent, whose face had become tense.
"We can't leave you alone in the car," Vincent stated, his voice cold as usual.
"Yes, you can," I protested, trying to reason with him. "You guys should go ahead; I'll be fine."
Vincent walked over to my side of the car and pushed the door open. "Get out," he commanded. "You're not staying back."
I crossed my arms, determined to resist. "I won't! I said I'm quite fine here."
Vincent's expression turned frustrated. "Do you seriously think I want you following me in there? I have no choice."
"That's why you can just leave me here," I replied, standing firm.
Adriel intervened, trying to lighten the mood. "Come on, it's not like we're going to murder you or something."
I glared at him. "Murder!!? You aren't helping at all."
Vincent's patience had worn thin. He wrapped his arm firmly around my waist and lifted me up onto his shoulder, carrying me towards the building as if I weighed nothing. Adriel followed, slamming the car door shut behind us.
I was used to Vincent's tactics, so I knew protesting was futile. I pushed my hair out of my face, which had fallen forward, obscuring my view.
Instead of heading straight we headed around the building, this time, and I noticed a large tunnel at the back. As we approached, the darkness seemed to swallow us whole. Vincent and Adriel navigated the darkness with ease, but I clearly couldn't see a thing, I was disoriented.
We reached a door, and Adriel input a password, unlocking it. Inside, a rusty elevator awaited, with a dim light bulb in the middle. Vincent dropped me onto my feet, his eyes blazing with intensity. Adriel followed, closing the doors behind us, and the elevator began its descent.
Just like that I was pried against my will.