Lost In Time

It was a cold, wintry afternoon. The sky was painted with a dull gray color; stratus clouds overlapped one another, covering the ray of the sun.

A vast empty field stretched a hundred acres at the back of the still-constructed Clave mansion. This field serves greater purpose during Spring for planting crops, mainly wheat and oats, but for now, the land was blanketed with soft snow.

There was a small hill located just a kilometer away from the current house of the Clave family. Standing alone in it was an adult maple tree that was branching healthily, but its leaves were turning into its famous red and orange shade rather oddly.

Under it, a girl of thirteen years old squatted, trying to dig up a hole no more deeper than a ruler's length. The hole was meant for her dead pet. Yes. A king snake that was as long as her skinny elbow; with red, black and white bands on its scales. Its recoiled lifeless body was placed in a small wooden box, just resting next to her sandalled feet.

She had small freckles on her cheeks, but cheeks that showed a beautiful shade of pink. She had long black hair up to her waist; very smooth and shiny; and bangs that complemented her still-juvenile eyebrows. The locks played loosely on her shoulders as she focused herself on digging the hole.

"What are you doing girl?" A rich male voice asked from behind her. It was without warning, so the girl quickly jerked her head up and turned to the source of the voice. Surprise lit her face briefly.

This man had actually been watching the girl for almost twenty minutes now, standing on one of the thicker branches of the tree until he decided to come down from it. He had noticed her for the first time eagerly venturing out into the field alone, treading in a cleared pathway towards the small hill.

She had a satchel with her, he had thought at first its insides were some girly stuff. But no. To his surprise, what were inside it were actually a small wooden box, a metal spatula and a white candle.

He cared less of her presence at first and her innocent interruption of his nap, but he was however curious of what she was actually doing.

The girl frowned temporarily and diverted her attention back to the task at hand.

"Can't you see that I am digging a hole?" she replied with sarcasm. For a thirteen year-old gal, she sure has a mature attitude.

The man's brows flinched, irked by her disrespectful response. He almost thought that she would run down hill afraid of him being a stranger in her eyes. It did surprise him again that she did quite the opposite, and rather sprightly at that.

"I can see that, " he said after a calming breath, inching closer, but stopping just an armslength away from her. "What I want to know is why?" he added.

She could feel the towering form of the man in her left side, but still she was undaunted. What she wanted to do was to finish her duty as a pet owner and the snake's friend.

"I am making a grave for my dead snake, " she answered without any eye contact with him, but inside her thoughts, she was mentally detailing his handsome visage: having a short unkempt brown hair with white highlights, brown eyes that seemed to glow with red, symmetrical nose and jaw, and finely-shaped eyebrows and lips. He especially looked in his late twenties judging from the built of his body and the smoothness of his face.

He must be a son of their neighbor a few miles away, taking his horse for a ride. That's what she thought. But weird now however, she didn't notice any horse grazing about.

This time, the man's brows furrowed, surprised by her reply. "Oh? Why would you do that?" he asked, watching her scooping a mixture of soil and snow in her hands. "It is just a snake."

Such a weird girl and he had at least three reasons to think of her that way.

One was because of her pet. Obviously, girls her age normally pets a rabbit, parrot, mouse, cat, dog or anything deemed to be 'girly' animals. But she actually owns a freaking snake! What a weird taste. Wasn't she normally afraid of it?

Second was that she doesn't even show any hint of being bothered by the cold -- to which she was supposed to be, since she was wearing a fancy dress with only a light coat to protect her from the cold. Was she an insensitive tiny human?

Third was the freaking blankness of her expression. She maybe attending an absurd burial of her so-called pet, but she didn't even show any hint of remorse or regret, sadness or grief from it.

"The snake is my pet, Mister. It is not just a snake for me, " said she with her tone clipped.

"Oh?" His brows raised, a mocking grin appeared on his lips but he quickly hid it.

This girl was so interesting indeed. Why would she show affection on such a hideous serpent thought to be the reason for the downfall of man?

He crouched near her but not before a blood red rose appeared out of nowhere on his right hand.

"Here. Take this then, " he stated, handing her the long-stemmed rose. The girl tilted her head to the side and inspected not only the rose but his glowing red eyes. "It is my gift for your dead pet in the afterlife."

She felt wary at first, but took the rose anyway. "Thanks. I guess." She stated and laid its delicate petals on top the box.

For another 15 minutes, they were both silent. The girl went on her task, disregarding his quiet presence, while he continued on observing her.

She only did notice his disappearance only after she scooped the last of the moist soil to cover the hole with the wooden box in it.

'Weird man.' She thought in her mind as she stared at the blood red rose now planted on the burial ground next to the white unlit candle.

~ S ~

(Present)

"Milady Selene."

The young woman's deep musings were cut off when she heard her name being called by her maid attendant. She was sitting in an open porch facing the newly-built gate of the Clave compound. Her eyes were fixed on a bouquet of blood red roses perfectly arranged in a porcelain vase placed on top the snack table. Staring at those petals reminds her of the man she had seen 10 years ago; a rather weird man that just suddenly disappeared without her noticing. Any girl could get infatuated with a man like that whose handsomeness borders on the realm of the Gods, but for Selene, it was his mysterious aura that attracted her. Well... at least that's what she felt now. During that time, she was too engrossed with the death of her pet that she didn't care to mind him at all, or even to feel a single emotion towards him.

"Your father calls for you." Her maid attendant, Mrs. Latrice, stated bowing her head low at the same time.

"Right, " Selene uttered softly as she stood up. Her hair was still the same waist length, wanting to keep it that way. It was without any adornments also. No hair clips or hats they dubbed as 'fashion' during their medieval time. She was wearing a long common pink dress, a low neckline with off-shoulder puffs.

"Say, Mrs. Latrice, " she stated right after she stood up. The attendant looked up to glance at her. "I see that you have an unlimited bloom of roses."

The older woman smiled. "I do have an errand man who likes to send a bouquet of these roses every now and then Milady. I don't think that you love this specie of flowers but I take it upon myself to put it in the vase here."

Selene eyed the bouquet again. "Hmmm... I see. Then tell that man that maybe he could stop sending the flowers? I certainly don't like them."

The maid attendant wasn't surprised with her statement at all. She knew that the high-born woman wasn't that much of a lover of anything sweet and pretty.

"Of course, Milady. I will." She agreed. "Ahh.. would you like for me to throw the ones in here?"

Selene paused for a moment as if she was thinking. "No... just leave them be until they wilt. It is a waste anyway if you throw them when they bloom this beautifully." She stated plainly and with that she exited the porch.

There was elegance in the way she glided along the ground foyer of the mansion, and calm and collected as she managed the tedious flight of stairs towards the second floor where her father's study was located.

"Father?" she called, peeking into the slightly opened door after she knocked twice.

"Yes my dear, wait for me right there, " said the first duke of Soren, Duke Wyndall. He stood up from his office desk and strolled out of the room. He was donning on an aristocratic ensemble.

"You called for me? What is it that you wanted to tell?" Selene asked, as she hooked an arm around his left elbow.

"Come with me into the fourth floor, " he said with delight in his eyes. Her daughter only smiled and nodded.

As they walked along the hallway, the duke continued to talk, watching the interior of his mansion with happiness. "You know that our house is almost done with its construction -- after such a long time of waiting."

Selene grinned and thought of the many difficulties they have went through just to realize his father's dreams of having a mansion on top a mountain. "Yes, " said she with relief.

"I want you to choose your own room, my dear. It is my special gift to you."

"Are... are you serious father?" Her eyebrows raised in disbelief.

"Yes. Your mother and I have already decided it. Anyway, there are so many rooms in the house. I know you would want to choose a special room by yourself, " he stated.

Yes. I do. I do would like that. She thought in her mind. Any room away from the parties and gatherings he is always throwing. Any room where she can be by her own self. Just any room away from the suitors that her mother has been introducing to her recently.

The fourth floor had a long hallway with walls that were still freshly painted. It had no furniture yet, tapestries or paintings to decorate the entire area. A room that was located in the middle of the floor was the one that Selene chose. It was particularly an odd room. Duke Wyndall had it designed to be an altar of worship supposed to be, but now, since he promised her daughter, there was nothing that he could do but to give her the particular room.

Selene's chosen room looked barren at first. Its hexagonal shape was easily seen and the plain-looking dome ceiling didn't give off an impressive aura. However, as soon as she transferred her belongings there, little by little the space became livable after two days.

She was also given a chance by her parents to decorate it by herself as they knew that she had a talent in interior designing, most specifically the gift of painting and sculpting. With this in mind, she had Mrs. Latrice buy a variety of paint mediums like Greek pitch, linseed oil, gesso, plaster, blue smalt, azurite and charcoal to use for the project.

There were four casement windows in the room; two were in the west wall which showed a clearing near a cliff; while the other two in the east wall displayed the vast field of oats and wheat.

Here in this window too, exhibits the small hill Selene used to visit whenever she feels lonely. The maple tree standing alone in it still boasted the same red magnificence; however it is bigger, sturdier and taller now than it was ten years ago.

On the third day of her stay inside her new room, she began starting her project of painting the dome ceiling. It was late in the afternoon when she took a brief tea break. Mrs. Latrice placed the lemon tea and a slice of cinnamon cake in a coffee table near the east window.

Selene was sitting in the chair when she caught a glimpse of a man's silhouette standing under the maple tree. Her heart then skipped a beat and out on impulse stood up quickly to look at the man more clearly.

She wasn't insane enough to actually wish that it would be him. For crying out aloud, ten years had already passed and probably, he has a family of his own by now. However, there was still an ecstatic feeling left in her heart. If it is him, she would definitely want to ride her horse, Turri, as fast as she can so that she could ask his name.

"Milady? Are you okay?" the maid attendant asked as she noticed the abrupt change of her Mistress' behavior.

Selene couldn't clearly define the man's face but deep inside her, intuition was saying that it was truly him.

"Tell Sir Dayle to fetch my horse now!" she exclaimed, not wanting to loose precious seconds from just staring out of the window.

"Ye- yes Milady I will, " Mrs. Latrice replied quickly.

Stay there. Please stay there! I will not be long. She stated in her mind.

It took Selene five minutes to finally reach the small hill. She left her horse alone to graze about the lush grassland while she continued on foot towards the tree.

The man was still standing there, seemingly intent on staring at the landscape ahead of him. His hands were both inside his black trousers pockets which was partnered with an open three-button black shirt.

The soft breeze ruffled his unkempt hair sexily and this made Selene's heart pound heavier than normal. It was more so when she realized that it was indeed him.

As if the man knew, he turned his back to face her, acknowledging her presence with a silent nod. Their eyes met; hazel ones to brown in an entangling spell.

"You..." Selene muttered softly under her breath, wide-eyed, hands sweaty, heart beating fast.

"Hi, little girl." The man smirked as he greeted.

This made Selene frown immediately. This definitely wasn't a greeting she had expected.

"I am not little, " mumbled she in an unpleasant way. She gave him a glare amidst feeling excited herself of finally meeting him again.

His smirk never left him as he remarked, "I see. You still have the same feistiness however."

"And you don't seem like you have aged for ten long years, " she retorted sharply. She wasn't oblivious or even dumb not to notice that his face was still the same as she had remembered it. Her eyes thinly focused more on his facial features and whispered low, "How?"

He chuckled with this. "You have a pretty good observation and good memory too, " said he without answering her question.

Selene cautiously walked passed him until they were back to back but still inches apart. She clenched her jaw when she remembered their memory clearly embedded in her once-juvenile brain.

There was something really odd about this man. Something that wasn't earthly and she was damned sure to know what or who he really is. But first things first, she needed to know the answer to her question now; a question that had been eating her up since she rode her horse. "Why? Why show yourself again?"

He glanced at his right shoulder and in the periphery of his vision, he could see her hair flowing beautifully with the soft breeze. A pleased grin appeared in his face. "Hmm... I wanted to see how fully you have grown, little girl."

Selene frowned again, and this time she was obviously irked by how he named her.

"I said I am not little, " she stated with a hint of roughness in her voice, casting a scathing look on the ground.

This time, the man turned to his back and quickly pulled her left elbow so that she would directly face him. "Oh --- you are -- for -- me --- human, " he said sluggishly. His eyes easily glowed into a bright red, locking on her surprised hazel ones.

"Who... who are you?" Selene asked the needed question now, whilst shoving his hand away.

He didn't so much as flinch however. He continued holding her and at the same time, grazed her face tenderly with his other hand. "Hmmm... you can call me Khail for now, Selene, " he answered, uttering her name for the first time. For a moment there, she felt like the syllables of her name drawled sexily on his lips.

"How-- how do you know my name?!" she shouted, wide-eyed in surprise. As much as she can remember, she never told him her name!

Khail pulled her an inch closer and as he did, she began to squirm from his hold.

"What are you--"

She was cut off when Khail inhaled her scent, his nose just millimeters apart of her forehead.

"I never realized you smell so good, " he commented, eyes closed, basking on the aroma of a human for the first time.

She attempted to push him away from her but it was without any success. "You're a weird man!" she stated the obvious and at the same time, giving him another glare.

"I sure am, human." He chuckled lightly again and then without warning, tipped her face up easily with his finger and pressed his mouth down on hers. The sheer fever of his kiss made the contact of their lips exhilarating than it should have been in a first kiss.

This stunned her of course, but she wasn't one to be instantly weak on her knees. She mobilized the only body part that she knows of to counterattack his abrupt trespass and launched it forward into his face.

Slap.

"How dare you!" she cried, eyes burning with anger.

A stinging sensation momentarily lingered on his left cheek, but he showed no effect on it except a wider grin and a colder eye on her.

"Such sweet taste, " he stated, tracing the outline of his bottom lip with his fingers. Selene was taken aback as she saw him lick it seductively. "It makes me want to have more." His eyes glowed a bright red again.

"Just what are you exactly!?" She slammed the question again, stepping backward to guard herself. For all these years, she had thought that there was something about this man. Something that doesn't fit right. She hadn't expected that clarifying him this would bring her trembling down to the bone.

"Hmmm... you'll know soon enough, Selene, " he answered and then with a wave of a hand she found herself drifting into darkness.

"Where am I?" Selene asked that the moment she woke up. She felt her hands pressing on soft foam and found herself in a familiar mattress. She was actually in her room now, the hexagonal room particularly.

"Oh, you're awake!" Duke Wyndall exclaimed when he noticed her sitting upright.

"Father?" She blinked her eyes twice just so to make sure that it was really him.

"Goodness me, Selene. You almost gave me a heart attack earlier! Of all the places you want to take a nap, why would it be under the shade of a tree? Well-- I don't even know if you are really napping or you have actually fainted!"

"What are you talking about Father?" she replied, her brows in a curious frown.

"Tsk... that issue is not important anymore." He ended the discussion abruptly. "At least now, I know that you are fine. Goodness! Your mother would have my head if you get a cold."

"But Father, I don't --" She paused abruptly as surge of memories came back to remind her. She took an intake of breath then. "...ohh..."

"Are you alright?" His father asked, noticing her suddenly spacing out.

She shook her head and cleared the blurred vision in her eyes. "Yea... yes... I am fine Father, " she lied, not wanting to tell him what truly happened under the maple tree earlier.

Just what is that man! She shouted in her mind, remembering the way he oddly talks and acts.

"Now. Pull yourself together. Dinner is already prepared." Her father ordered before he closed the door.

~ S ~

It was already midnight. All servants, Selene's parents and herself were already sleeping soundly in their beds. It was a peaceful night, until it was broken by her soft moan.

"Hmmmm..."

Half winding in and out of consciousness, she, at first, could feel a cold feathery kiss on her leg, and then it climbed up, roughly in intervals of six seconds in every part of her body.

Every cold contact made her cry softly under her breath. Yes. First was her left leg, then her left wrist, next was her belly just below her navel, then in between her two breasts where the only cover was her flimsy chemise.

This deepened her breathing more, feeling the cold kiss as it then appeared on her neck next. It finally reached on her lips seconds after where it lingered there until her mouth opened on its own or so it seemed to look like.

"Ahhhhh..." she gasped loudly as she felt a rough touch of a hand in her waist, trying to pull her chemise up.

She then felt fingers pressing into her rib cage with a pressure that aroused her sensitivity. She moaned with this, suddenly becoming breathless although she was still asleep.

How could a sensation like this not wake her up?

The chemise seemingly ran up on its own up to her neck like there was an unseen force placing it intentionally there.

Selene arched her back when she felt a tingle of her nipples. One felt like it was covered with a soft, moist mouth, while the other one felt like it was being titillated by two divine fingers.

A soft cry of pleasure escaped from her lips again. She would have basked on its goodness but in a sudden change of direction, a tug on her ruffled lingerie made her eyes shot open, this time feeling conscious of all the sensation building up inside her.

She could feel a weight bringing her down on the mattress -- a weight that felt of a man but she couldn't see him in her front!

"Huh... what!" She was confused, beguiled by the events.

She felt both of her wrists being brought up to her head and quickly felt a warm tongue flicking her earlobe and down to the plane of her neck.

"No! Ahhhh!"

She was in a daze with this. It was as if there was an invisible man doing lewd things on her -- against her will -- but there was nothing that she could do but to succumb to it.

She of course couldn't fight a man whom she couldn't see!

"No! Let me go!" Selene shouted as the mysterious force continued its sensual wake. This time, she felt her lingerie being pulled down from her legs, ultimately exposing her virgin womanhood. And then as soon as it was done, a lengthy, hard, throbbing muscle quickly followed it, breaking the entrance of her passage roughly.

"Ahhhhh!" Selene winced with the shooting pain. A tear formed in her eyes immediately.

"No! Please stop!" she cried, but the invisible man seemed to be inattentive of her needs.

By the Gods! Just what is this unseen force doing with her! It was actually raping her and she was damned helpless with it!

Thrust after thrust, she felt her insides convulsing in a mixture of pain and pleasure. She moaned and cried her heart out as the invisible man continued to pound on top her. She heard him groan near her ears, hinting that he was enjoying it too much.

After sometime of continued invasion, she felt a swirling sensation of rapture. Her mind felt like it was bursting with her first ever orgasm. That is the only time too when she heard a velvety male voice whisper her name tenderly.

"Selene..."

And right then and there, she felt the force gone, leaving her stunned and speechless, but panting for breaths nevertheless.

~ S ~

"Milady? How are you feeling?" Mrs. Latrice asked worriedly when she noticed her Mistress sitting quietly near the east window. A cup of tea was in her hand but she wasn't sipping it at all, only watching the landscape outside.

Selene's attention diverted to her and gave her a bit of smile. "I... I am fine." She answered, but her words weren't believable for the attendant.

"Your breakfast is ready now, Milady."

"Uh... yes... thank you, " Selene said, holding her attention back on the maple tree. "Mrs. Latrice?" She called after a minute.

The attendant looked up. "Yes, Milady?"

"Could you please leave me alone for a moment?" requested she, her eyes never leaving the scenery.

"Sure, Milady." The older woman replied without question. Taking the silver tray with her with a silver pitcher and a knife, she was intent on exiting the room but Selene abruptly stopped her.

"Could you leave the knife in the table?" It wasn't a request but a subtle order. The attendant raised a brow, confused as to what its purpose is for her.

"I... ah... I need it for a sculpture I plan on making, " Selene clarified, sounding a bit stiff.

"Oh..." She blinked twice after giving her Mistress an incredulous look. "Sure Milady, but please be careful when you use it. It is very sharp." Mrs. Latrice replied as she took out the knife and placed it on the table next to the sugar container.

"Yeah."

The minute her attendant left, Selene released a long sigh. Then she felt her lips tremble as she recalled everything about last night.

"What-- just-- actually-- happened?" she asked herself, confused and clueless. She felt the torrid kisses trailing in her neck and lips last night, but the source was invisible. She could sense the warmth of a male body and even able to touch his firm chest and muscled back but Gods, her eyes felt like it was betraying her! She was as if blind! She even felt the man's fully erect member thrusting in and out of her virgin passage, yet she couldn't define its details.

Is it possible that what happened to her last night were the works of an incubus? She was knowledgeable enough to know that such vile entities exist but she didn't expect that she would fall prey to one of them!

When she ran a finger on a sore part of her neck, she felt it a bit rough and its skin pores raised. She immediately stood up and marched across the room to her bathroom.

"Huh... kiss marks?" She caught a breath as she stared at her reflection in the mirror where it showed reddish marks on her neck, near her carotid artery and her clavicle specifically.

Oh my God.

This is undeniably a clear-cut evidence of the rape last night and she felt aghast by it. What had she done in her life to catch the attention of a demented, horrid creature of the dark?

Her hands shook as she realized the gravity of the situation. Whatever that man or that thing was, it is likely that it will not be leaving her in just one night alone.