Quiet and dim. A silent breeze drifted through the endless hall. Pitch blackness engulfed the expanse, swallowing every drop of incoming light. Arched windows lined the hall, allowing the cold rays of the full moon to illuminate the edges of the hall.
Amidst the emptiness, the silhouette of a man in a black robe stood erect, as if he were a living shadow.
Cradled in his arms was a girl. Her dress was woven from rare amethyst, emitting a dazzling purple hue, the only bright spot breaking the darkness. Her long hair fell loose over her pale cheeks. She looked like a porcelain doll, suspended between life and sleep.
He held her, as if he were holding something most precious in the world. He simply stood in silence, letting the warmth return to her body. Against his chest, he could feel the rhythmic rise and fall of her breath—and the steady, quiet throb of a heart.
Something... he didn't have, even though he had taken it so many times.
His black-gloved fingers slowly stroked her hair—gentle, deliberate, careful not to disturb her slumber. His dark eyes stared into the abyss of the hall as his mind tried to comprehend the sensation.
Warm... and sweetness.
He leaned down, letting Ishihara's soft breath caress the crook of his neck. A faint, almost inaudible, chuckle escaped his lips.
"So this is the feeling of breathing... that you mortals glorify so much?" he whispered into the shell of her ear, his baritone thick with bittersweet wonder. "Just because of this little warmth... you bring my darkness to its knees, Ishihara."
FLICKER…
From the unseen depths of the ceiling, pinpoints of light began to appear. One by one, the crystals on the massive chandelier lit up like stars. Their soft shimmer broke the darkness, reflecting off deep marble pilars and intricate wall carvings.
Black Robe's smiled faintly. "Why did you fall asleep so early, Miss?" he murmured, his voice sounded so warm and caring. "We haven't even had our dance."
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
Gently, he cupped her chin, lifting her face into the starlight. Her eyes remained peacefully closed. He bent down slowly, pressing a firm, lingering kiss against her forehead.
"Will you dance with me, Miss?"
CLINK…
A soft melody drifted from the shadows of the hall.
He reached for her limp hand, holding her fingers with infinite care. His other hand wrapped around her waist, supporting her weight.
Then, he began to dance.
SWIRRRSH!
With one twisting motion, he spun her frame—her amethyst dress unfurling like a violet blossom floating through the air.
The girl's body began to respond. Her hand, suspended in midair, suddenly moved, gripping the man's arm. Her limp body now stood upright on its own two feet. Though her head tilted slightly, her eyes remained closed.
Black Robe took the lead. His steps were swift, yet gentle, like a night breeze. His black robes fluttered, and the girl's amethyst dress parted the air like flower petals in a storm.
TAK... TAK... TAK...
They spun, carving swirls in the marble, then touched every corner of the hall with cheerful steps, with small, childlike leaps. Their movements seemed hurried, yet light, as if floating on cool marble.
The brilliance of the chandeliers reflected off the beads of their amethyst dresses, creating the illusion of a rolling sea of stars. Their movements slowed now, appearing graceful and rhythmic, as if each step, each turn were a poem being recited.
SWOOSH!
As the music reached its crescendo, Black Robe lifted her, twirling her in the air for a moment before gently landing her back down. Their dance was a silent tale—a tale of darkness finding its beauty, and light finding its home.
The piano's tinkling slowly faded, leaving a final, faint echo in the air as the lights faded one by one. Their dance ended with darkness creeping back into silence.
Darkness crept back from the corners, reclaiming the hall.
Their dance ended as Black Robe pulled her back into his hard chest. Her body went limp once more, like a porcelain doll resting after a brief spell of magic.
BRRRSHHH—!
A fiery crimson magic circle appeared beneath their feet. Its light radiated sharply throughout the hall, painting the walls, pillars, and ceiling a blood-red hue, ancient runes swirling in a blinding vortex.
FLASH!
In the blink of an eye, both figure vanished, leaving behind shards of light like falling rose petals. The hall was empty once again, shrouded in pitch darkness, as if their dance had been nothing but a dream.
However, in the center of their dance stage, a single black rose lay.
Its velvety, jet-black petals were slowly being swallowed by a new color. Starting from the base, a tinge of red crept up its entire surface. Morning dew still clung to its petals, as if the rose had just bloomed amidst eternal darkness.
The flower was the only trace… the only proof that fate had been carved there, between light and darkness, in the silence of the dance hall.