Chapter 4: First Kiss and First Fear
Night blanketed the city. Lila stood on her balcony overlooking the park below, sipping jasmine tea. The days since the alley had blurred, each filled with stolen glances of Aiden at work or their lunchtime coffees. She couldn't ignore how her heart had fluttered every time she saw him smile. By now, she knew his schedule, even with their last names the same. It felt like fate.
Tonight, she had the evening off. Wearing a simple dress and light jacket, she decided to go out to clear her mind. She carried her phone and keys, not expecting anyone else.
Aiden, meanwhile, had left the hospital early. Marion had sent him home to rest his hand. At home, his living room couch greeted him, and as he settled down, exhaustion hit. He was dreaming even before sleep claimed him.
In the dream, Lila was calling him from across a crowded street. He tried to run to her, but he felt cold, slow. Come here, her voice pleaded. He lunged—CRASH—into glass shards and felt searing pain. He woke up gasping, drenched in sweat.
Not now… please. The voice in his head rumbled and retreated, leaving Aiden alone with his pounding heart and cold fear.
That night, Lila left her apartment to go for a walk. As she strolled through the quiet streets, Aiden sat on a park bench, head down. From a distance, they spotted each other. He felt her presence as if a beam lit him. Her eyes lit up with surprise and delight.
"Aiden!" she called cheerfully.
He stood abruptly and straightened his jacket. She hurried over. Under the street lamp, she looked more beautiful than he remembered: silk hair, warm eyes, and a gentle smile.
"Hey," he said softly. His voice shook a little.
She slid her arm through his. The touch made his blood warm. "How are you feeling?" she asked, nodding at his bandaged hand.
"Better." He shook his head. "Really better." Inside, he whispered to himself, She's here. I won't ruin this.
They began to walk, talking about nothing and everything. The park was quiet except for a distant fountain and night insects. Lila stopped by a flower bed, breathing in the scent of white lilies. "I'm glad we bumped into each other," she confessed, looking up at him.
Aiden turned to meet her gaze. His lips trembled. Up close, she smelled like jasmine and something delicate. The world around him slowed. He raised his hand to tuck a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. Their eyes locked.
"She saved me," Lila had said of the person at the alley. "Thank you for that. You really saved me from loneliness." She meant it as a joke.
But Aiden's heart felt it as a truth. He leaned in. "Lila…"
She expected a kiss. She leaned up, hopeful. But just before their lips met, something happened: A sudden, violent shift inside him. The colors of the night burnt bright. His vision turned shadowy black.
"Are you…" He froze. Pain stabbed his head. His lips parted, and an unfamiliar darkness came out in a cold chuckle. "Did I scare you?" his voice sounded different — deeper, mocking.
Lila's eyes widened. Aiden's own heart lurched, but was it really Aiden at all? The dark voice that usually lurked inside took over. He stepped forward on his own legs, reaching for her.
Lila's breath caught as the man before her changed. The gentle man who held her arm shifted into someone else entirely. His smile was predatory. Gloved hands clenched at her shoulders. "I love your hair," he purred, voice like gravel.
She stifled a gasp. The breeze picked up, and she realized two things at once: she was crying, and she was terrified.
"Who—what are you?" she asked, her voice trembling. She managed to keep her distance.
The man laughed softly. "Calm down, Lila. It's me. Aiden." But it wasn't his smile. The grin was cruel. His amber eyes had dark slits.
Lila stumbled back. "Aiden? You… you're different."
He tilted his head. "Different good? Or different bad?" There was a softness in his voice, but it twisted eeriness under the smile.
Aiden's good side fought to reassert itself. She's Lila. You promised. But the voice inside him snarled, She called me different, Aiden. Let's show her why.
Abruptly, he released her shoulders and stumbled a step back, breathing heavily as if returning from a dark tunnel. The park noise seemed to normalize around them. His expression flitted between panic and guilt. The demon's voice faded.
"Lila…I'm sorry. Are you okay?" He looked at her as if seeing her for the first time. This was the good Aiden, eyes glistening.
Tears welled in her eyes, a mix of fear and confusion. "What…what happened?"
His hand instinctively found his hair. He was no longer smiling, and he loathed the echo of that cold laugh that still lingered in his mind. "I – I don't know. I'm sorry."
Her breathing was uneven. She moved back a step, searching his eyes for truth. "That – that voice. It wasn't you, was it?"
Aiden swallowed the lump in his throat. The moment was intense, more than anything he had experienced. She knows. The demon whispered, but he resisted. She had seen it. There was no simple lie.
"Well… I…" he struggled to speak. His tongue felt thick. He decided to tell a partial truth. "I… I sometimes get flashbacks. It's… hard to explain."
Lila reached out to steady him as though he might fall. He accepted it gratefully. "Aiden, you scared me."
Remorse flooded him. "I know. I'm so sorry. I would never hurt you."
She nodded slowly, eyes still wide. "Let's just go home. We… we'll talk tomorrow."
He exhaled, tension leaving his frame. The demon voice was gone, but its memory clung to him like a stain. As Lila gently guided him out of the park, Aiden couldn't tear his eyes from her. He vowed silently to never let that happen again.