Aislin swung her sword copying the movement of the teacher in front of her. Her forehead was beaded with sweat and she getting short of breath. One week has passed since the school has closed and there was no sign of the transfer student anywhere in the city or any local hangout places.

She joined the classes as per her to do list. And she had opted for a sword. There had been four murders in past week which had the whole town terrified. The town she lived in has always been calm but since Darkmir arrived there had been murders. The news said the two bodies found were almost decayed, their nerves and blood all turned a shade of red while two bodies were yet to be found.

Poison was suspected as the cause of death but she knew better. In this case, only she knew that darkness, personified, was in town.

Ayduin knew and since that day he had gone all silent on her. It has been a week since they talk and tomorrow was Christmas. All her festive mood was gone now. All she wanted was to get rid of these worries. All the tensions she was gathering flowed into her arms and she hit the wooden target hard almost breaking it.

The teacher walked up to her and gave her a surprised look. He looked awed yet not impressed.

"Do not fight with anger Aislin, never brings out the best in you. It will make you do impulsive things and this will help the opponent to judge you before you attack." He explained strictly.

She sighed and nodded.

"That's enough for today you can leave and rest. You look like you haven't slept in days." He instructed.

She left without any argument. She had a destination in mind today.

****

Ayduin was shocked, stressed and the miserable. His voice of reason was silent, it was not her fault. He had gone silent on her instead. Who was she really? Never had an elf woman attracted her or for that matter of fact neither mermaids nor fairies but she, just her voice had him tangled with her.

He had never felt desire, jealous, happy or any emotion. He had been actually frozen well and fine like an Ice Prince should be but then that conspiring hermit had to bring her in. Ayduin realised he was getting addicted to her. Was this is how you feel about friends? He was not so sure she was just a friend to him and he was too scared to admit otherwise.

Because how could she be more, she was the first person since the beginning of creation that had made any contact with the Darkness himself. First through dreams and then he actually appeared in front of her, if what she said was actually true. But he had the feeling it was. Darkmir, as legends said was an evil, passive, conniving, deadly being. He was known to engulf all the happiness and light around him, all the souls and all the hope.

The worst part, the stories said he was indestructible. Why had he decided to show himself now? Why to her? He did say she intrigued him but so much so that he actually walked in her life, in her place of study?

Should he be foolish enough to trust someone who ignited feelings in him and managed to lure Darkmir? Her thoughts were pure but being a prince he had so many schemes and betrayals he truthfully had no idea who to trust.

But he was missing her, resisting the urge to pop in her mind.

He had no solution for this problem and no one who could help him with this. Ayduin actually felt lost right then.

****

Finally, Aislin had gathered the courage to visit her friend's grave. She hated graveyards not only because half of her loved ones were here but also the depression and misery doubled on seeing so many dead, lost to their family. Sometimes she wondered, did she not love her mom or was the curse only a thought. Though she has lost all the loved ones her mother was still here.

God forbid, if something happened to her Aislin knew what she needed to do. And now there was Ayduin in the picture, who was not talking to her but she still felt strongly towards him. And she hasn't even seen the guy yet!

Maybe he is a shrivelled old elf with witch-like nose and blood red eyes? Then? What will do then? She will ask him to show his face as her Christmas present if he decided to talk to her.

"Hi, Martin, Shauna. I have missed you guys. I have stopped crying myself to sleep and even talked to a shrink. Shauna trust me shrinks are not all bad, Mr Wakefield is kind of hot in your kind of way. Christmas is here and...." She was still not strong enough.

She missed them terribly, she loved them a lot. And to think that they are dead as in she would never talk to them again, never see them again, touch them again, hear them laugh was hard even after all these months.

"Drake, thank you for the bracelet." She said her voice now thick with grief and she used back of her hand to wipe of freely flowing tears.

She sat down on her knees and allowed herself to cry, to let go of all the pent-up emotions, all the worries.

"And Drake I love you, I will always love you. I think every girl in our school did. But I am glad you were intelligent enough to choose me." She said half smiling through her crying.

She remembered her first meeting with him how he had hit her from his soccer ball by mistake and had hurried over to apologise. He said it was love at first sight for him and she never found it true. She was not stunning enough for that to happen.

"Beautiful it's really hurting to see you this sad." Aislin panicked as she heard the horribly familiar tone.

"Darkmir." She said out loud.

"Wow! How did you figure that out? I even jumbled my Latin name." He said feigning disappointment.

"You made a slip when you mentioned the voice in my head." She said backing up a bit trying to be brave.

"Oh that was intentional. So how is that jerk of a Prince?" He asked as if a jealous boyfriend asking about another boy that girl talked to.

"First tell me, was that dream real?" She asked about the time she heard his voice in her dreams.

"Very real lovely, very real. I intend to destroy the Flames of Vita and though the protection around is... I must say top-notch but I will find a way in. And then someone really special told me about my probable matrimony match a few months ago. You see this charm on your wrist, only cursed wear this and it has to be in a pair ; one who is cursed and other who is the cure." He said explaining all animatedly.

"So you know that I am cursed that is not a big deal." She said knowing that Darkmir's thought way deeper than that.

"And that your Prince is also since he is the other person with this charm. I am assuming that it is too romantic saga that he is your cure and then happily ever after. So just for my happiness sake, I think you are the cure to his curse which I will know about soon enough. But you my dear..each life your curse takes builds an envelope of darkness around you. And that is why I am here lovely because right now you are completely in the envelope, only needed to be sealed in." He said in a low whisper closing in on her.

Even in broad daylight, Aislin felt his power, the amount of dark and despair he carried.

"But five people died because of me. my curse and I am already this darkened?" She asked desperately for him to say I was kidding.

"Some you don't know. Like remember your first nanny who held you in your arms and you adored her. She died in an accident. Then your third-grade boyfriend aka crush was injured fatally in basketball and it was damn funny. And then you remember from your old place you neighbour who played with you well her own dog bit her and she died. And then there is death that will surprise you so I will let that go. The list is long lovely and you are my better half now. One more death and you are sealed.

But around you, I don't see a cursed aura and therefore you intrigue me." He said enjoying the slow torture.

It was a lot to process, to know even more people died around her, she choked back tears and bitter taste of blood and rust filled her mouth. One more death he said...was it possible for her to die before all of this. She was already living the guilt-ridden life and now he just proved that she was actually cursed.

If she was engulfed in darkness does that mean she was becoming evil now?

"I know, I know its lot to take in so enjoy Christmas tomorrow. I have a party at my place and you are invited of course since you are my better half or soon to be. And also don't talk with strange men, it makes me jealous. You really don't want to make Ayduin and me enemies, it will not be good for him." He said mock punching his heart as if her actions were really hurting him.

She just stared at him shocked and pained to utter a word.

"I have to go; lots of stuff to do, find people and souls to satiate my hunger." He gave her six inched evil smile and winked before he left.

All energy gone Aislin crumbled to the ground. She clutched her head in her hands and tried to control which was now turning into hyperventilation. Unable to do so she let out a shrill cry scaring away any birds around.

***

Yeah, so this chapter well enough clarifies my mood right now xD

Hope you guys like this and enjoy the weekened with the darkness personified :D