It's a Seeker's Game

The heat of his gaze seemed to sear her skin, as if he were reaching through the veil between them to touch her where only he could see. It sent shivers down her spine and made her heart race, as if she were standing before an unyielding force. In a small part of her- one she didn’t care to admit to, she couldn't help but feel a sense of helplessness, the winds of emotion swirling around her like a torrential storm on the cusp of breaking. Her heart pounded in her chest, each beat echoing the rhythm of her thoughts. She wanted to break free, to escape the pull of his gaze, but she found herself rooted to the spot, entangled in a web of her own making. His words, though laced with accusations, held a sincerity that couldn't be denied. "And what of desire? Hmm? How could one desire someone as viscerally cruel as myself?" Mariah retorted with a delicate laugh, her voice tinged with a mixture of amusement and incredulity at the mere thought of it. But deep down, she couldn’t deny her own subjective desire, the way his presence stirred something within her that she struggled to contain.

Mariah stood her ground as Caedes advanced towards her, his presence overwhelming and suffocating. She could feel the intensity of his desire emanating from him like a palpable force, wrapping around her and pulling her closer to the edge of the precipice she had been teetering on since the moment they met. His words echoed in her ears, resonating with a haunting truth that she couldn't deny. The air between them crackled with tension, thick with unspoken promises and forbidden longing. With a tilt of her head and a gaze that refused to waver, she met Caedes's eyes head-on, daring to challenge the darkness that lurked within him. "Desire is a fickle thing, Caedes," she spoke softly, her voice laced with a raw honesty that betrayed her inner turmoil. "It does not always follow logic or reason. Sometimes it simply is." Her words hung in the air, a fragile bridge between them that threatened to collapse under the weight of unspoken truths. "Perhaps that would be enough for the moment, Caedes, having you on your knees," she replied, her words slicing through the tension with a sharpness that suggested she wasn't entirely joking. "But I’m afraid I cannot give you whatever it is you seek. You would be best to find peace for yourself in an alternative means." She finished in a whispered tone, her silver gaze never leaving his. Her resolve didn't falter; she was holding onto it with fierce tenacity, despite the turmoil brewing within her.

"Mariah Mendacium"