Enchantress by Kenzhie A. (good fiction books to read .TXT) 📕

"Loving the view, eh?" I heard a chilly voice from behind and so I swung around to face the stranger and stared over his face with a feeling of awe. Another beautiful male. A Latino or Hispanic beauty by looking at his somewhat tanned skin and distinct features. Honestly, what's with these handsome guys? They seem to be everywhere lately and it's mind-blowing! This new guy on the other hand, looks oddly normal. Too normal..No Glamour or no extra-ordinary aura. Just plain normal which is weird but in spite of that he is very handsome yet somehow I can sense a tinge of mystery around him like he is hiding something but I don't know what exactly.. his true self maybe? I stared at him trying to figure him out. He has a very long black silky hair that's been tied at the back of his head and is hanging on his back. He has very dark eyes that almost looked like black with thick lashes hovering them and a perfect nose. His face looked like it had been sculptured to perfection with lips that is naturally red and right now is looking oddly grim. Then I looked at his medieval looking clothes. He is wearing a simple, loose fitting shirt with tubular sleeves and underarm gusset; a tunic to be exact that is tucked in his black trousers, and a pair of black knee-high glossy boots. Wahhh.. a medieval-looking strange person! Who is this guy? He actually looked like a handsome character from an old century movie and very tall too. What's with the tall and hot guys crossing paths with me? I just can't look at them without my mouth wide open. “Did you now find a liking to my exquisite beauty, my dear Evangeline?” He spoke again but he looked pleased this time. I just continued staring at him because I'm just too speechless to be called Evangeline again. I don't know if I should deny that I'm her when I'm really her. It's very complicated so I remained silent instead. “Though I find it quite unbelievable since you have ignored me for centuries without even visiting me here in this torturous oblivion.” He continued coolly but I can sense a repressed rage from his cold dark eyes. Now, what did Evangeline do to him to make him this angry? I pondered.

“Ummm, I'm sorry... I don't know you.. What's your name, Mister..?” I eyed him innocently.

“Leon.” He answered but his eyes grew even more darker. I'm getting chills already. “Have you forgotten the name you often called me once, the same as to how you have forgotten your promise to me?” I backed away looking totally ashen when I saw him gliding towards me with a sinister look. Oh no! Just what did that brat Evangeline do to anger this scary guy? I swiftly turned around to reach for the door knob but it wasn't there anymore. It's gone! I ran instinctively towards the thick trees.

“You will not flee from me again, Evangeline! You will forever be with me in this cursed place! I would rather have you here in this God forsaken solitude than not have you at all!” His angry menacing voice echoed and the birds chirping on the tree branches flew away, scared, but to my horror they all dropped dead on the grassy field. Then suddenly, in a slow motion, the grassy field with beautiful flowers transformed into a cold clay stone paths with cracks at the edges. The trees turned into dark brick walls forming a unicursal maze. The beautiful scenery is gone and was replaced by a hideous-looking maze-like structure. There are some creepy vines that are twining on the walls upward. I ran and ran and just when I thought I'm already far away, I was horrified to found myself back at the beginning where I started off. Shit! Am I just circling around? I ran again, twists and turns, my eyes widen from time to time seeing some oddly creepy unknown creatures flying, crawling, eating rotten insects on the floor. I'm glad they're all busy to notice me. There's even sticky blood on the floor and on the wall dripping endlessly, flooding and reaching my boots. I'm too mortified to stop so I continued on running then I screamed when I bumped into something hard and when I looked up, I yelped. Leon looked different. He is still handsome but he looks terrifying. His long hair looked even more long and is hanging loosely at his back. His beautiful eyes are all black. I can't see the white in his eyes anymore and he has black creepy spidery wings and his nails are long and black and they look more like sharp claws. The true form that he's been hiding---that's why there's something absolutely odd about him a little while ago---surfaced when he got angry and so is all the fantasy surrounding this fake place transformed back into its true form. A wretched cursed place...

“Ellis!” I screamed his name automatically but there was no Ellis and that only made Leon angry. He slapped me and I yelped in pain as his massive claws made contact with my fragile skin. I can feel the blood dripping on my face but I didn't cry. As my blood drip, the busy creatures stopped what they're doing and stared at me, looking like they have found their new prey. My eyes widen in horror as all of them flee, crawled, and ran towards me attacking me but before they can even touch me they all turned into ashes as they touched an almost invisible dark smoke that instantly surrounded us. Leon didn't even flinched or moved a muscle, looking oblivious of our surroundings. His eyes are focused only on me.

“E-Evangeline.. Oh no.. I.. did not mean to hurt you..Please forgive me, my love..” Leon went closer to me and touched my marred cheek. He caressed it tenderly. I flinched but not able to move away from him and it made him looked solemn. I don't understand him. He looks terrifying but I can also feel that he is pained by accidentally hurting me. My heart cried for him unknowingly. What made him into this? I need to know...

“What happened to you?” I asked and touched his hand that is on my face. I can feel him froze and see his eyes changed. They're actually gray at a close distance. They're very charming and they look kind. A total opposite of his horrific black eyes a while ago.. He was about to answer me when an eye-blinding light break out from behind us and I looked around to see Ellis with Axel, Max, and.. the redfox! Ellis is holding two luminous short blades just like last time which is good for close combat, Axel has a big sword, Redfox has a bow and arrow, and Max is holding nothing but when he gazed at Leon his right hand weaved a long sword made of ice. Behind them, a bright circular light that looked like a portal is slowly closing in.

“Zylen! Are you alright?” Ellis' eyes darted towards me and are blazing in fury when he saw my face.

“Y-yes.” Is all I can mutter. I then stiffened when I felt Leon's arms enfolded my body.

“Let her go, Leon!” Ellis roared.

“How dare a mere insect as yourself command me? Do you not remember your position, Ellixiel Wright?” Leon answered calmly but contempt is obvious in his voice. “You even brought these poor little children with you to die? How lowly have you become?” He continued in a mocking tone.

“Don't undermine us!” I heard Max hissed and then my eyes widened when I saw a hail of sharp ice shot towards us but it didn't pierce through the invisible dark aura-like shield that encircled us before the ice bullets struck.

“Maxwell! You almost hit Zylen, you fool!” Ellis glared at Max furiously and Max who recovered from his anger glanced at me looking apologetic. I wasn't able to fully recover from the fright of Maxwell's sudden attack when Leon surprised me when he flew and carried me with him. I screamed and turned pale when I leaned down and saw Ellis and the others becoming small. From above I can see the complicated maze that made up the labyrinth. It looked more terrifying from above. But I was more scared of the heights which Leon is taking me up higher. We are still soaring high and my vision is becoming blurry because of the fog. I faintly noticed that we are now above the dark clouds.. Dark clouds?! I am mortified with that fact. I have acrophobia for crying out loud!

“L-Le-on..” I whispered, stuttering and shivering from the cold night. I didn't realize it's already nighttime or is it always nighttime here? Hearing my voice, he shifted his hands from my waist and swiftly scoop me up careful not to scratch me with his claws in his arms in a bridal style. I felt better since I can't see what's below us anymore. He gazed down on me, his eyes all black again but I don't feel scared of him anymore. I pity him instead. I think he has been in this awful, hideous place all alone and I want to know as to how and why was he locked up in here...

“Evangeline... I beg you... Do not leave me... again...stay with me. I will make this place as beautiful as earlier or whatever you want if you only ask. I have forgiven you already..” My heart was torn looking at his saddened expression. He looked pained and it's breaking my heart. I raised my hand and touched his beautiful face. His eyes changed again into gray, looking at me sorrowful.

“I'm so sorry if I can't remember you, Leon. Honestly, I'm not really Evangeline.. My name is Zylen..ummm, I'm just her reincarnation.” I confided at last and saw the change of his expression. He looked surprise, angry, sad, a mixture of emotions played on his face but then he recovered briefly.

“If that is the truth... Then Evangeline died..” I saw the muscles on his face twitched.

“Well... technically.. yes.. and I don't know what she did to you but I am very sorry because I am still a part of her...” I said feeling my tears in the corner of eyes wanting to roll down my cheeks.

“You are quite different from her I observed, yet just as beautiful...” He whispered almost inaudible and I blushed. “Do you want to leave this place away from me?” He eyed me surreptitiously.

“Umm, honestly I want you to get me down first. I'm really scared of heights you know.“ I said but then Leon's attention was already somewhere else. I followed his gaze and was surprise to see Ellis with a transparent-looking, luminous wings flying towards our direction. Ellis has wings?! Though his wings looked more like projections of bright wings rather than real wings. He looked really angry.

“Leon! Leave the girl alone and fight me!”

“Please let me go... I know you're a good person. Don't fight with Ellis. I don't want any of you to get hurt..” I begged him. He looked surprised and I don't know which surprised him.

“Evan---Zylen...” Leon whispered my name sadly, testing my name awkwardly and caressed my injured face. I can't help but winced as I felt a sting and Leon's face became more grave to catch my pained reaction. "It is a first that someone cared for me.. I'm happy it is you.." He smiled genuinely for the first time showing his perfect set of white teeth and I noticed his two elongated fangs. He looked so fragile in spite of it and handsome. “I am so sorry for marring your beautiful face---” He continued looking grave again but was interrupted by Ellis' booming voice.

“Do