Chapter 1
Aurelia
"Where have you been, Aurelia?" Steven asked, as he cradled me in his arms and brought me into the warmth of his embrace. I buried my face into the crook of his neck, savoring his captivating scent that stirred my thoughts once again into the abyss of my own head.
I shook my head as his hold tightened. My fears mounted like an overwhelming nightmare. I wanted nothing but to tell him that he was the cause of my fear, my worries, and my sleepless nights.
"Are you leaving again?" I softly asked. I felt his slight shift in response, and somehow I felt a sense of relief when he nodded.
"You went there again," he stated solemnly. His voice was filled with certainty.
"Yes.." I couldn't bring myself to deny the truth: I had returned. Yet as Steven claimed to know everything there was to know about my whereabouts and movements, I couldn't help but feel a chill of fear run down my spine. What else did he know about me?
Steven took a step back and walked over to a cabinet. He came back with a necklace in hand and offered it to me.
"Here, this is yours," he said, placing the jewelry in my palm. "Remember when I told you where I found you? Your wearing it."
His gesture left me confused. Why would he give me something that would remind me of where I'd come from, when he'd done everything in his power to sweep my past under the rug.
"You should rest," Stephen said softly, his face an unreadable mask. "I'll be back before dawn."
As the door shut behind him, I was left alone with my thoughts. I could still feel the warmth of his touch as I clutched the necklace in my hand. He had given it to me, but I still didn't know why. Was it to help me remember where I came from? Or was there something else?
Lost in a state of wondering, I heaved a deep sigh and allowed my mind to drift away into unconsciousness.
Two years ago, as I ventured down the winding path I had chosen for myself, I wrote about the influence of falling stars upon the course of my life. But amidst the colorful marvels of the kaleidoscopic world, I found no escape from the unyielding sorrow of my past, which continued to haunt me.
Even in my dreams, there was a man. He is both my warning sign and my beacon of hope, and I was enthralled by his ethereal beauty and lusted after him in spite of his otherworldly nature.. I desired him to the point of impossibility, for he exceeded all my expectations and seemed too perfect to be real.
There was a connection between us, forged in the silence of our gaze. I was consumed by the shame of my actions, performed in the name of love.
But alas, he was here before me, a vision of beauty that filled me with fear. He was a threat to the fragile star I had tried so hard to save from its descent.
