"Why am I doing this?"
Alaric muttered, dragging his feet behind Amilia.
He wasn't exactly mad—just... reluctant. Maybe he simply didn't want to be here. Shopping with Amilia wasn't terrible, honestly. Still, he hated the attention.
Most eyes in the market seemed to lock onto them as they passed.
Not that it surprised him.
Amilia wasn't famous or anything—she rarely even posted on social media—but she was effortlessly beautiful.
Walking beside a girl like her, Alaric could practically feel the jealousy radiating from other guys.
This—this unwanted attention—was one of the reasons he hated going out.
He followed Amilia quietly, arms full of shopping bags, as she drifted from shop to shop like a butterfly.
If a stranger were watching them, they'd probably assume they were rich.
---
Soon, a strange sensation brushed over him—like someone had passed right by.
But when he turned, there was no one.
The feeling came again.
And again.
A soft, almost imperceptible whisper rode the wind past his ear.
Alaric shook his head.
Probably just his imagination.
Then, not far ahead, he spotted a face.
Someone... familiar?
He couldn't place her—couldn't even recall where he'd seen her before.
"What's wrong with me today?"
he muttered under his breath, his mind tangling with restless thoughts.
"Hey!"
Amilia's voice cut through the haze.
He snapped back to reality.
"You okay?" she asked, a crease of worry in her brow.
Alaric managed a small smile.
"Yeah, totally fine."
And he wasn't lying exactly.
He knew himself well enough.
But something was wrong.
He just didn't know what.
---
The whisper returned—louder this time, swirling around him like a secret carried by the breeze.
As he walked, it grew stronger, pulling him toward a narrow, half-forgotten alley.
Even though it was still morning, the alley was unnaturally dim.
Something about it unnerved him.
But... there was also a strange pull.
Something magical.
Something... waiting.
He made up his mind quickly.
"I'll be right back. Toilet break," he told Amilia, casually.
She just nodded, trusting. Her expression said, I'll be here.
---
The alley swallowed him whole.
The dim light flickered, but it was enough to see.
At the very end, standing silently, was the girl he'd glimpsed earlier.
She seemed almost out of place—too vivid against the faded backdrop.
"Hello?"
Alaric called, voice low and cautious.
He didn't want to seem like an idiot who couldn't even speak properly.
The girl turned toward him, startled—as if she hadn't expected him to notice her.
Then, under her breath, she whispered something strange, almost like she was speaking to someone else:
"I didn't know you were this ugly when you were young."
Alaric froze.
Did he hear that right?
And... who was she talking to?