"Such potential," she murmurs, her eyes gleaming with an almost feverish light. "Such raw, untapped power. Oh, the things we’re going to discover together."
My heart pounds in my chest. Cold sweat breaks out across my skin. There’s madness in her gaze, a fanatical fervor that terrifies more than any physical threat.
No, she’s not going to eat —I think.
Instead, she’s giving off all the mad scientist vibes. Am I her personal Frankenstein project? That would be awful.
"Please, just tell what’s going on." The pleading in my voice makes my soul depressed, but I’m not above begging in this situation. I’m pretty sure her sadistic streak spans the globe. No point upsetting her.
Sothing tells my life with Jim around is infinitely preferable to even ten minutes in this strange woman’s presence.
Eliana pulls back, clasping her hands together with childlike glee, and I swear her eyes flicker to gold for a mont. Definitely a supernatural, but what kind? She’s not hitting shifter vibes.
"Oh, but that would spoil all the fun! Don’t worry, my dear. All will be revealed in ti. For now, just know that you’re part of sothing much, much bigger than yourself."
I shift uncomfortably on the hard bed, my wrists straining against the restraints.
Eliana sits next to , her hip nudging mine as she makes herself comfortable. The casual intimacy of the gesture has shuddering. There’s sothing deeply wrong about her proximity. Every hair on my body is trying to jump off my skin and run away.
"Scoot over, darling," she coos, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "Let’s get cozy, shall we?"
I try to inch further away, but there’s nowhere to go. The bed isn’t large, and the restraints limit my movent. As the strange red-headed doctor settles in beside , an unnatural chill seeps through my clothes, seeming to penetrate straight to my bones.
It doesn’t make sense. Her body radiates warmth like any normal person’s would. I can feel the heat from her hip pressed against mine. And yet, there’s an aura of cold emanating from her that defies explanation. It’s as if winter itself clings to her, an invisible cloak of frost that reaches out to touch everything in its vicinity.
Eliana’s hand brushes my arm, and I flinch. Her fingers are warm, almost feverishly so, but the mont they leave my skin, it’s like she’s left behind a trail of ice. Goosebumps erupt across my flesh, and I can’t suppress a shudder.
"Oh, don’t be like that," Eliana chides, noticing my reaction. "We’re going to be spending a lot of ti together. Best get used to it."
Her eyes roam over , probing and analytical. It’s as if she’s trying to peer inside . As if she’s unraveling my very essence with her gaze.
A strange tingling sensation starts at the base of my skull, spreading outward like tendrils of electricity. It’s not painful, exactly, but deeply unsettling. My skin prickles, and the hair on my arms stands even further on end. Didn’t know that was possible.
"Fascinating," Eliana murmurs, leaning in closer. Her breath ghosts across my cheek, and I have to fight the urge to recoil. "You can feel it, can’t you? The magic stirring within you?"
Of course I can feel it, but it’s not mine. It’s foreign and strange. Why does she think it’s mine?
I keep my mouth shut.
Eliana’s fingers trace a pattern on my arm, and the tingling intensifies. It’s as if she’s drawing sothing out of , coaxing forth an energy I didn’t even know I possessed.
"There it is," she breathes, her eyes alight with an almost manic glee. "Oh, you’re going to be such a delightful subject to study."
I want to ask what she ans, to demand answers about what’s happening to . But my voice is stuck in my throat, and my body feels stiff under the effects of a strange energy that is definitely not mine.
She seems to think it is, though.
Eliana continues her intrusive examination, her touch alternating between warm and icy. Over my head, my face, even gently brushing against my ears. Then my shoulders and arms. Each caress seems to tug at that strange alien force, and I swear it all tightens around like a rope.
I squeeze my eyes shut. Sohow that makes it better.
Her hand hovers over my chest, not quite touching. The air between us seems to crackle with an unseen energy. My heart pounds so hard I’m sure she must be able to see it trying to burst from my ribcage.
"Your magic is leaking," Eliana observes, her tone clinical despite the excitent dancing in her eyes. "Seeping out of you like water from a cracked vase. You’ve no idea how to control it, do you?"
I shake my head mutely, unable to form words. The tingling has intensified to a near-painful buzz, centered around where Eliana’s hand hovers, but there’s sothing strange about it.
At first, I felt as though it were trapping under its power. Keeping prisoner.
But now, I’m starting to realize it’s not that at all.
It feels like a shield.
"Don’t worry," she says, her voice taking on a soothing quality that does nothing to calm my nerves. "That’s why you’re here. We’re going to help you understand your power, harness it. You’ll be magnificent when we’re done with you."
The way she says "we" sends a chill down my spine. How many others are involved in this?
Probably a lot.
The strange woman’s hand moves to my hair, her fingers combing through the dark strands. The gesture, probably ant to be soothing, sends revulsion crawling up my spine.
"Such beautiful black hair," she muses, twirling a lock around her finger. "It’s a sha, really."
Her eyes take on a faraway look, but her hand continues its rhythmic petting. Like I’m her dog. "Colors are so fascinating, don’t you think? The way they dance and blend, each hue telling its own story. Take red, for instance. The color of passion, of life itself. Beautiful and rich."
Is she trying to unsettle further? Because it’s working. Red is also the color of blood, and I’m pretty sure that’s what she’s talking about.
"And blue," she continues, her voice taking on a dreamy quality. "So calming, so pure. Like gazing into the depths of an endless ocean." Her fingers tighten in my hair for a mont before relaxing. "Green is the color of growth, of new beginnings."
My mind races, trying to make sense of this bizarre monologue. Is there a hidden aning behind her words, or is this just another facet of her apparent madness?
"But black," Eliana sighs. "Black absorbs everything, doesn’t it? It’s the absence of color, the void that swallows light." Her eyes lock onto mine, and she smiles. "Well. It’s just hair, I suppose."
Her hand moves to pat my cheek. "There, there," she coos, as if sensing my distress. "No need to worry your pretty little head about it now."
Standing, she smooths out her pristine lab coat. "Have a good night, sweetness," she says, her voice dripping with affection that makes my skin cringe. "Pleasant dreams."
As she turns to leave, I catch a glimpse of her face. The mask of warmth slips, revealing sothing cold and calculating beneath. She opens the door, and I strain to see beyond it, hoping for so clue about where I am. But there’s nothing visible except white walls.
"Keep her safe. We can’t afford any mishaps."
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