The Demon’s Bride

Elise opened her eyes to look where she was, finding herself in the middle of a forest. She rubbed her head where she could still feel aching headache as everything came back to her mind from where she had lost her consciousness. Where was she? It didn't look like it was the same forest where the place had taken at. 

There was no ghouls around her but tall pine trees and instead of night, Elise pushed herself from the ground where she had laid on, raising her chin to look at the bright blue sky. Was she separated from Ian? But that's not possible, she thought because Ian won't leave her. Before her all light of her eyes disappeared, she felt Ian was near her, taking her by his embrace. Then where was she?

"Ian?" called Elise before waiting for Ian there but nothing happened for the past five minutes. She concluded that she was somewhere where Ian could not reach or perhaps somewhere else entire different than her real world. She decided to stand up and take a look around, seeing that the place that she had slept on was in fact at the foothill of a mountain.

She turned to look around, going through the trees while noting how the forest makes her remember of a place she thought she knew but can pull the right memory from her mind.

On the way to climb down the foothill, Elise then heard the soft series sound of footsteps from her left. The sound of the footsteps were light and in a hurry, she was alarmed at first but after sensing how the footsteps didn't bear ill intent, she concluded that it didn't come from anyone who wanted to harm her.

Elise wondered if following the footsteps would bring her out of her current situation. Therefore she followed from where she thought she heard the sound of footsteps. Unlike her initial thought that the person was running very quickly, it was the otherwise, the person was trying to run as her best but her little leg prevent her from going any faster than now.

Curious of who it was, Elise quickened her steps, going by the right side of a tree when her eyes widened to see a small girl of her knees height running while holding something similar to a scarf. It was her, thought Elise and she realized she was inside her own dream.

"Little runt you are here again," sighed the person who was leaning on the tree. Elise didn't know who it was and was startled as she could not tell he was there even though she was sure she had make sure of her surrounding as if the man had used some other mean to apparate there.

She walked closer to where the man was, finding herself looking at the man's face. He had the perfect sharp jawline, a prominent forehead that was curtained by his long black hair that was as long as her hair, falling to his waist. His eyes were in the color of deep red, a hue similar to Ian's eyes while his lips were tinted in maroon color. He was a handsome man that despite the lack of dressing he still managed to look like a nobleman.

But somewhere upon looking the man, Elise didn't stare at him to admire him but to find find how similar the man was to Ian and perhaps it was the same intense gaze that the man held and how his lips always curled when he speak as if everything in this world was given for him to enjoy to his amusement.

"Elise," said her little self that broke her gaze from the man to the little Elise. Her cheeks and ears were both red from the cold and although she could use the scarf to give her another layer to protect herself from the cold, she didn't use it and instead hold it tight.

The man raised his brows, "What was that? I can't hear you," the man said and Elise could tell he was playing with her little self with the way he grinned after his words.

"My name is Elise," continued little Elise holding a faint pout as her chubby cheek pouted. "I am not a runt."

"But you are, look how small you are?" The man questioned and shook his head, "It would be delicious to eat you if you fattened up a bit. Does your mother not give you food to eat?"

Little Elise pulled her brows, replying underneath her pouty mouth, "She does."

"She does?" The man hummed before looking at her dirty attire when a large growl rang. Both his eyebrows raised at it and he gave a teasing glance at little Elise whose eyes darted around as if she was searching for a hole to conceal herself. "That doesn't sound like you are full." 

Little Elise didn't reply but pursed her lips upside down, clearly embarrassed that her lies were caught on. The man chuckled and he pushed himself from the tree to walk near where she was, "What are you doing here anyway? Haven't I told you not to come here again. Do you want to get mauled by a hungry bear or wolves? Well, with how little you are I doubt they would find you tasty anyway."

"What about you mister?" asked little Elise instead who had been smart and her words received a chuckle from the man.

"Wolves and bear don't come to me, if they see me it would be them instead who would run with their tails between their legs. You should also fear me, little runt, shoo, go away," said the man while waving his hand. He looked at how Elise seemed to be in a thought. Finally thought him, that this girl understand she shouldn't go to a forest alo-

Little Elise walked closer toward where the man was, making her own place, and when she find the man's questioning gaze, she replied, "If I am with you then Mr. Bear and Mr. wolf won't come."

The man frowned and rolled his eyes, "It means, little runt, the predators fear me because they know I am stronger than them and fear that I will eat them instead. Would rather get eaten to me?" The man looked at her, finally find her worried but then she said,

"I'm not a food," replied little Elise naively, confused why she would get eaten when the man was also a human. "Are you hungry like me?"

"As if I can get hungry, Fine, whatever you like to say," said the man, tired as every time he had tried to daunt little Elise, she was too naive to understand that he was scary and that he was trying to threaten her. Instead of scaring the girl, she stuck closer to him which left him confused as most little girl would have run when he scared her. "I tell you, you are the most strangest little runt I have met. If it was others I would have killed and take your soul with how naive you are. But I have reason not to kill you which is something that I don't usually do," Elise looked at him with her head tilted, unable to understand what he was saying, "I don't protect others without any repayment. You should have brought me something amusing."

"This," she said and then pulled out the scarf which she held tightly between her two hands, "For you, mister ghost."