Chapter 1

Are you the devil? 

The words flew out of her mouth before she could stop them. Her body remained frozen in time yet, she did not seem to notice her current state of being. Her complete attention was devoted to the shadowed silhouette standing before her. The shadows appeared in the form of a man and she suspected there was more to him than the eye could see. His long, jet black hair fell past his shoulders, his pupils glowing bright yellow in the dark. Though his gaze was fixed on her body remained silent for long moments without saying a word. What could he want? Agnes wondered. Was he going to hurt her? 

From the corner of her eyes, Agnes could tell that she was no longer in her bedroom. In fact, she seemed to be in a place far from home. She felt the clean grass under her feet, a subtle breeze and the sound of insects chirping in the night. She wanted to look up and confirm the stars above her head. Perhaps she was stuck in another dream but, she also wanted to keep the man in her line of sight. He simply stood still—watching her watch him. Her arms wrapped protectively around her bare shoulders. Her small, revealing, lace nightgown seemed no longer fitting. They were completely shrouded in darkness and though her instincts told her to run, she remained still, not wanting to provoke him. 

She examined him a little more carefully. The young male seemed to tower over her petite frame and from what she could tell, possessed a strong physique. His eyes continued to glow yellow while Agnes’ eyes settled on the rest of his features, she realized that the man in front her was smiling. His smile reached the corner of his cheeks showcasing a small dimple in the corner of his left cheek and beautiful pearly whites.  Small fireflies danced around the two, creating a beautiful scene and despite the freckles of lights surrounding the two, he seemed to only have eyes for her. The speckle of lights illuminated her face adding a radiant glow to her smooth brown skin. 

So far, stranger showed no sign of malice. In fact, he seemed to be genuinely happy to see her. His confusing reaction insinuated that they had met before but how could this be possible? Her eyes squinted in his direction. With further inspection, his clothing seemed a bit odd. Surely the 80's and 90's had rushed in a new wave of fashion and artistic expression to the world but, he appeared too different. He sported a pair of black trousers that reminded her of ancient times. His chest was free of clothing and adorned by several tattoos. Each of his wrists were covered by a large black cuffs. He was really strange indeed, like a man out of time. 

“I will not harm you,” the stranger finally spoke, as if to appease her thoughts. His deep, sultry voice came to her as another surprise. She could not identify his accent. Was he 

perhaps a foreigner? Searching through her memory, she doesn’t recall ever meeting such a person. In this small, unpopular city, Agnes doubts she could ever forget someone as intriguing as him. As she continued to inspect him and stare from afar, the man standing in front of her appeared more and more mysterious. The visual details she collected gave no further insight on how he appeared to be in her presence. She could admit that the stranger possessed a strange aura around him—like a familiar charm but her guard forced her to remain cautious. 

“Who are you and why have you brought me here?”

“I can assure you that we are in a safe place,” he explained. He slowly approached her, a gentle gleam in his eyes. His hand reached outward, inviting her to join him. 

“Come.” When she showed no response, he continued.

“I have waited so long to meet you. Tonight, your spirit seemed to have finally opened up to me.” Agnes carefully took a few steps backwards, creating more distance between the two, her head shaking in denial. This must certainly be a dream. 

“Agnes,” Her name rolled out of his mouth like a gentle caress. There was this charming accent again. 

“I have missed you.” 

“I don’t know who you are and I don’t want any trouble so, I should get going now.”

A hint of sadness spread across his features when she took another step backwards. 

“Surely, you must be confusing me with somebody else.” Agnes insisted. Even though he knew her name. Surely this was still a mistake, she foolishly denied. The man took a moment’s pause.

“It seems as though, you do not remember me at all, my love,” he observed. “After all, it’s been so long since we were…” his last words trailed in a broken whisper. 

Remember? She was undoubtedly confused. 

With a final sigh of defeat, his gaze found hers again before he spoke. “You are not ready but we will see each other again Agnes, soon. For now you should get some rest.”

Seconds later, the man disappeared before she could ask him what he meant. Her body was then suddenly enveloped in a warm, tingling sensation before everything went black. 

“Another, stranger dream," Agnes thought as she found consciousness in her bedroom. Her hand absently ran through her tight curls as she made a recollection of what happened. She was perturbed by how real it felt, how happy and comfortable the man appeared in her presence. She had seen him before—in previous dreams though he had never spoken to her before. 

At nights when she slept, she caught glimpses of his face and what appeared to be flashes of events. She saw the face of a stranger that seemed to reach out to her desperately but could not come to an understanding of what it meant. Agnes released a deep sigh in frustration. Was she starting to overthink this? Were her reoccurring dreams something to brush aside? After all, she did have an overactive imagination.

“Wake up honey!” Her mother’s voice screamed from the hallway. Agnes’ mother, Tina, was naturally up before the rest of the household, tending to her morning tasks, ensuring that everyone would get a proper breakfast and reach their destinations on time. 

“Tsk. Spending all that time fantasizing and you’re going to be late for work,” She teased. 

“I’ll be down in just a minute Mama,” Agnes replied and she hurriedly made her bed. 

Her morning routine was quick but efficient. Unlike many other girls, Agnes did not apply powders, shadows and lipsticks since it would add too much time to her morning routine. Working as a library assistant, she spent many hours with her nose buried in a book —often outside of work as well. She avoided wearing heels and went for a comfortable pair of shoes that allowed her to move freely throughout her busy days. Today her natural hair was tied in a traditional low chignon held together by a clip. The mirror standing in front of her showed that, per usual, her looks and clothing were nothing out of the ordinary. She always made sure to go for a more simple and presentable look though sometimes, she wished there were more occasions, or a special someone to doll herself up for. 

Grabbing her book bag, she made it down the stairs to find her family already sitting at the table. 

“No classes today?” Her father queried. He was dressed in a work suit and tie, today’s morning news paper at hand. Joseph worked for a prestigious publishing company. While Agnes favored her mother Tina in looks, both father and daughter shared a keen interest for the literary world and art. 

“I have a late start.” Agnes bounced around her sleepy younger brother to grab a small french toast. “I’m heading out to the library now.” She was going to spend a few hours finishing some homework, help organize some of the shelves before heading out to her afternoon class. 

Tina watched on, amused as her daughter managed to chew down and few pieces of toast, a quick sip of juice before she was out the dinner. Her child seemed to often be lost in her own little world or rushing to make up for lost time. 

“Don’t be late for dinner, ” Joseph hollered “Tonight is family game night!” But she was already gone. 

Adjusting her old pair of black glasses on, Agnes’ right hand moved swiftly as she inscribed the final sentences of her dissertation. She finished earlier than expected which meant that she could then carry on to another task. The library was her sanctuary and Agnes has always had a passion for books. At a young age, her curiosity led her to explore and discover what lies within the parched white pages. World history? Poetry? Fiction? If the subject sparked her interest then she devoured the words on paper. She, sometimes, found it very hard to explain to others how one could enjoy disappearing from the world at a time, only to find out what happens at the end of the last chapter. As a child, Agnes often relinquished on the birthday parties and other outdoor activities. She, instead, would be found in her bedroom with a copy of one of her favorites. Her parents, Tina and Joseph, seemed to always understand—especially her father. He encouraged her healthy habit and still provides great literary suggestions ‘till this day. 

As time went on, Agnes learned to balance out her favorite pastime with other social activities and gained new friends. But, deep down inside, she was still the same little girl who fell in love with stories. School work completed, Agnes began at task on a secret project. In truth, this was her real incentive for coming to the library everyday. In the last few months, when she was not fulfilling her duties as an assistant or completing assignments, Agnes was researching ideas for her book. While earning her degree in English, she also studied ancient history and mythology to learn about the ways of the old world. In this she found the inspiration to come up with new ideas and create characters of her own. 

“How did I know that I was going find you here,” a familiar voice chuckled from behind her.

“Hi Matt” Agnes greeted her friend. He sat on her left and reached for a notebook and pen. Matthew Jacobs was an upperclassman majoring in History. Both students were also recipient of the same honors scholarship but had never crossed paths until the two began working on a group project for one of their courses in a Biblical and Classical Literature. Matthew was instantly drawn to her intelligence and beauty, while Agnes admired his wittiness and overall charming attitude. The two spent some time outside of school, hanging out with mutual friends. 

“You know, a pretty girl like your shouldn’t spend her days confined to this old, dusty place,” he teased, eyes gesturing to their surroundings. A small blush crept up Agnes’ cheeks who decided to ignore his advances and looked on to her pages. She could hear his nervous chuckle without staring back up at his face.

“But, I…like it here.” She pouted. 

“I meant that you should socialize a bit more Agnes. You rarely come to my parties,” Matthew noted before he changed the subject. “Well, now that I have you, I was really hoping I could pull in a favor.”

“Favor?”

“There is this old document I need that contains a rare statement from Jefferson.”

“Okay.” 

“It’s an off-the-shelf piece.” He looked on as Agnes came to realization to what he was asking. 

“Agnes, it could really help with my upcoming thesis.”

Built in the late nineteenth century, the school hosted one of the oldest library in the country. It housed quite a large amount of first-editions, rare books and documents that only approved scholars could have permission to access. As an assistant and as part of her job, Agnes was able to browse through several areas, which aided greatly in her own personal research. She has always been careful when browsing by never taking an important book home and putting everything back in its rightful place. But could she extend those same privileges to her friend? Matthew’s always been a genuine friend but granting access to such restricted areas, academic purpose or not, still made her nervous. She really liked having this job and did not wish to risk termination. She also understood how this could help advance his studies…

“Oh Matthew, I don’t know if that’s such a good idea…” She began. 

“Please,” he begged. “It would really mean a lot,” he flashed her one of his undeniable charming smiles. 

“I don’t know, I have to think about it.” Agnes muttered. She really wanted to help out a friend but didn’t want to risk getting in trouble. 

“Sure, no problem.” Matthew agreed. The two continued to work quietly, sneaking glances at each other unbeknownst to the other. Matthew silently admired Agnes’ ability to devote her attention and focus to whatever task she was currently dealing with. Though Matthew preference usually called for girls who liked to “play”,  something drew him to Agnes who was shy, hard working but full of passion and ambition. He allowed his eyes to linger on her long lashes, her beautiful soft brown skin, her full rosy lips… He had to look away and regain focus on his own assignment. 

As the two continued to work, Matthew wondered if the oblivious and studious beauty sitting next to him could, someday, ever see him as more than a friend. He knew that, with her, he had to take things slow. Soon, he was going to find the courage to ask her on a proper date but for now, he should gain more of her trust. 

Later on that night, Agnes sat on her bed doing some light reading while everyone else slept. She’s never been a fan of those monthly fashion and lifestyle magazines that her mother subscribed to. Fiction and fantasy were more up her alley. Flipping through the pages, a small section had briefly caught her attention:

Pisces. February 19-March 20

Your ruling planet, Neptune will be in full effect! This month your sign rules the subconscious and dreams. You will feel more intuitive so do not be afraid to embrace new creative and artistic ideas. If you feel stressed out, keep a dream journal near your bed—this should help you discover some clues to solving life dilemmas.

Gentle and ever caring you may often feel the need to put the needs of loved ones before your own. Hang out with people who are as sympathetic as you are and exercise more self-care. Find peace in prayer and meditation. 

Continue to focus on your dreams and goals. This will help you stay on your ideal path of happiness and financial comfort... 

“I never thought I could relate to one these silly things,” Agnes joked as she close the monthly issue. Taking a deep breath, she briefly wondered how these weekly and monthly horoscopes came to prediction. Securing her night wrap around her curls, she laid on her pillow, waiting for today’s events to wash off and take her to sleep. 

The slow, steady rhythmic tic-toc of her bedroom clock faded into silence.

“I am yours and you are mine, for now until the end of time.” Two voices echoed in unison. 

Agnes took a quick look at her surroundings and confirmed that she was indeed in the middle of nowhere. Staring at this couple in the middle of what felt like a very intimate moment made her feel more out of pace than the fact that she did not exactly know where she was. The man and woman did not seem to be alerted by her presence. She wondered if they were too engrossed into each other to care. This dream felt so real, as if she was transported to a moment in time. The wind sang past her long tight curls and 

Agnes watched as a young couple stood on a high cliff while the waves beneath them crashed onto shore. The sun was setting and its final rays left a radiant glow on their faces and skin.

Agnes tried to discern their features as both of their faces were covered by their long hair. They both stood barefoot. A small pile of fancy armored clothing and a large, silver sword laid beside the young man as if he’d rid himself from the items just a few moments before. He was now left with a thin white shirt and common black trousers. The woman’s, thin white dress, flowed along with a few hair strands in the wind. Her upper arm and neck were adorned in simple golden jewelry. 

Despite the beautiful scenery surrounding them, the two never one broke from each other’s fixed gaze. 

“Zina” the man began. “On this day, I swear to protect you with my life and my entire being. No harm will ever come to you in the name of men and the powers above.” The man spoke with passion as his hands locked in hers. His dark eyes were full of intensity. His spoken promise released into the universe as nature were their witnesses. 

“My love,” the woman hesitated for a moment staring into her lover’s eyes. Her trembling fingers reached for his jet black hair before resting on his right cheek. Agnes recognized him as the same man from her other dreams. 

“I swear to devote myself to you and to give you only my purest of love. I pray the gods that no harm will befall upon your being for choosing to love me in return.”

“Zina…”

“You’ve saved me and given me a reason to live and fight. For that, I will always be grateful and I promise to love you.” A silence pause. “But..”

“No,” her partner quickly interjected as he brought her face closer to his. “I have taken an oath and the gods are our witness. You will have nothing to fear, trust me.” he assured her.  Her eyes searched his for a linger of uncertainty, regret or fear as he held her gaze with pure conviction.

“You will be safe by my side, I swear it.” He whispered as he tucked her hair behind her ear. His eyes fixed on their target before their lips met in a sensual kiss. As he brushed more of her hair to the side, Agnes was able to get a closer look at the woman while the two lovers kissed passionately. 

“That’s…He” Agnes could not finish the words as they caught in her throat. Her breathing halted, her senses numbed down by the sight before her eyes. The woman's face was now in clear view. Her thoughts rushed and filled in what she couldn’t articulate. That woman was...

“He’s kissing me!”  Her mind screamed before she suddenly woke up.