The Demon’s Bride

Elise stared at Ian's eyes and her right foot took a step forward when it was about to take another step and tiptoed for her lips to reach his, they were interrupted with the sound of coughing from their left side. Both Elise and Ian turned their eyes to the person who had made the sound, Elise being more surprised as she was not aware there was a person near them.

Gabriel scratch his neck embarrassedly, "I have no opinion of you couple kissing, but I am afraid this humble man will be interrupting your romance which I hope doesn't bloom into something that kids shouldn't see."

Elise's cheeks reddened upon the intrusion. She didn't mind kissing Ian outside in front of people but she was taken by surprise to see that there had been someone who watched them. 

"Why thank you," Ian smiled, his eyes turning curve with a underpaying coldness, "You have just interrupted my bride's first offer of kiss. If we have found the dark sorcerer and burn them I will make sure to note your name to throw you into the fire."

"Ian," Elise called his name when seeing Gabriel shrinking back, appearing to be affected by Ian's threat that she knew didn't sound like a joke. Upon her calling, Ian turned his face dutifully with a milder smile.

"I am joking, don't worry. I like how you often control me," Ian smiled teasingly. "Being controlled is not my style but you just make everything different."

Elise pulled her breaths that hitch from every of his, she is happy with the words Ian said but she also knew how much he love to tease her with his loving praises that ends with her wanting to find a hole to bury herself in. "Let's go," Elise announced.

"Wait!" Gabriel stopped them, "If you two are going to leave, I suggest checking the library. Last time when there were many people, someone told me that the library is one of the only few doors that are not locked. You might want to check there."

Thanking the man, Elise nodded to note of the information, they left the inn and Ian stood to look over the tree that was high up, narrowing his eyes as he felt there was someone watching them but he could feel the gaze ever since they were drawn by the magic casted by the dark sorcerers.

"Where should we go? The Library?" questioned Elise and Ian hummed.

"The magistrate, there is something I need to know."

Leaving the place they made their way to the magistrate house. Elise took her steps steadily similar to Ian's pace without being aware of her shadows which fell on the ground behind her flickered and zapped uncontrollably as if her shadow was a black container and something was trying to climb up form it. The tremors of her shadow quake as she continued to take more steps and a black, claw-like hand of the shadow begin to come up, settling itself on the ground outside her shadow as if trying to pull the rest of its body.

"What's wrong?" Ian asked as suddenly Elise had turned her face to look behind her.

Elise blinked her eyes, did she imagined that, "I don't know," she said, "It's nothing."

Ian kept an eye on all the house behind them sensing nothing he then put a hand on her back, "We have no time to waste, the longer we are here the magic feels stronger." And they resume their walk to the house with the red roof. 

Only after the fourth knocks was the door opened and the haggard-looking magistrate stepped out from the house with a small oil lamp on his hand. He looked at Ian before to Elise with a faint sigh, "If you wish for a better inn, I will suggest you to bear it for now."

Ian shook his head, "That's not necessary we will be leaving soon before sunrise appear.How long have you've been here?"

The magistrate pulled his fingers, counting of the year and says, "Well I think this is my fourth year. I wasn't born here and came after marrying my wife."

"If I may ask where is your wife, sir?" Elise questioned and the man pulled his sleeve just slightly so it won't slide to the oil lamp.

"Dead. She caught illness and passed away six months ago. If that is all with your question," the magistrate pulled the door close when he was startled by Ian's hand that pulled open the door.

"One more question," Ian stated and the magistrate narrowed his eyes, "How do we get out of here?"

The magistrate looked shocked by his words and he said simply, "Is there not your carriage out there? You can leave the gate and ride your carriage to go back. But I suggest you two to rest for now and wait for the sunrise to come before you can go back."

As it seemed the magistrate was not even aware that they were trapped, thought Elise and when the door was almost locked the magistrate whispered, "Though it has been weeks since the sunrise ever appear."

Shocked and startled, Elise was taken aback and she only look at Ian after the door was fully locked, "He knows we are trapped."

"He seems to be aware but not as much. His memories seemed to be affected by the curse. The longer we stay here I can tell we would be in similar state at him, forgetting the correct flow of time." And the very thought send shivers to Elise. Ian knocked again but the magistrate never opened the door since then. They decided to leave the place to the library where Gabriel said to may or may not hold hints for them to break the magic that was casted or find the dark sorcerer.

Opening the library door, Elise coughed as she was immediately greeted by the dust that filled the air thickly. "It's dark," she said when her view was quickly lighted as Ian snapped his finger to light a fire. With the sudden light, Elise was faced with a figure of a woman and her heart almost flew from her cage when she yelped out of fear.

She ran toward Ian's hand and caught his snickers, "That's your own reflection, Elise."

And when she took a better look, it was true that she had faced a mirror but she was too startled to notice it at first. 

"Why do you have to be scared when you know I am here? Ghost won't come to you," Ian amused, still finding her little yelp endearing.

"I can't help to be scared with what I am startled of," Elise said to her defense, receiving another breathy chuckle from him. "What do you think we have to find here?"

"Clues? Let's just look around and find a person. If we don't then we can get back to my first guess," Ian held her hand as he didn't want her to fall from the books that was piled and stacked on the ground.

"That one of the four people is a dark sorcerer in disguise?" Question Elise when she took one book from the rack, by pulling the book, she created a gap. And when she opened the book she saw nothing was written in it and it was blank, it goes the same to the rest of the books. 

"Yes," Ian confirmed for Elise to drop her next question,

"Who do you think is the most suspicious at this moment?" Was it Ernest who he met for the first time? Gabriel? The magistrate? As it couldn't be Alfred to Elise's mind.