Elias' eyes fluttered as he slowly awakened when he heard the faint sound of someone whispering over his head. A low him. It sounded like whoever was humming a song. It sounded familiar yet he couldn't remember where he had heard it from.
His eyes snapped open.
There was someone gazing down at him.
He froze. He watched as the tall figure stood putting a little distance between them. Half of the stranger was hidden in the shadows but the faint moonlight made his dark hair and dark eyes visible. His skin was pale, too pale that he even looked… dead.
Elias's heart stuttered in his chest. "W–Who… who are you? What did you do to me?"
The strange man only tilted his head slightly as if trying to figure Elias out. His yellow eyes glowed faintly in the dark. "You don't know who I am?" He asked,his voice smooth and strangely sounded musical to his ears. "Why then did you complete the ritual to free me?"
Elias pushed himself up on trembling elbows. It had gotten very late and he needed to go back. "I… I have no idea what you're talking about. This must be a mistake. Or a dream."
A faint smile curved the man's lips,his eyes glistening. He stepped closer squatting beside Elias. He was so close that Elias could make out the faint gold lines that curled around his throat as if trapped under his skin.
"This isn't a dream,angel face."
Before Elias could move, a hand rested on his thigh… tight. He was real. He could feel the heat of his palm seeping through his skin.
His breath hitched. The stranger leaned closer,his eyes glinting like a thousand stars combined. "Does this feel like a dream to you now?" He whispered,his face only an inch away from Elias. "I'm very real. Very… very real."
Blood rushed up Elias' neck. He turned his face away hoping that he hadn't noticed how red he was in the face. He stood up abruptly causing the man's hold on his thigh to loosen. "Get… Get away from me! Who… who are you?"
The man chuckled softly, the sound like smoke curling through the room. "Azazel," he said. " I'm Azazel,the greatest demon that ever lived until he locked me down here."
Elias stumbled to his feet, nearly tripping over the broken floorboards. He knew demons were real because they prayed against them each day but he hadn't thought they were real. That they existed in the physical form. He couldn't even tell what he had thought they were. He hadn't imagined that they'd be so breathtakingly handsome.
Muttering a quiet prayer under his breath,he bolted towards the building away from the demon.
The cold air rushed against his skin as he ran out of the gravesite. The night was very quiet and scary too. His brothers hadn't bothered searching for him too as it seemed as though they had all gone to bed. He didn't dare look back in fear that he'd find him chasing after him.
After what felt like hours but was actually a few minutes,he finally got to the main hall. Pushing the door open with all his strength,he found father Gabriel on the other side,a single candle illuminating his face.
The old priest's expression darkened. "Elias? What were you doing outside at this hour? I was worried. I thought you went to the market to get something for yourself too but you didn't return with your brothers"
Elias struggled to catch his breath. "I'm sorry father. I fell asleep when I… I should have been busy with the work I was assigned. Forgive me. I'm just… just tired. It won't happen again."
Gabriel's brows knitted together. "You know you can tell me when something is bothering you. Remember you're like a son to me. And I'll always listen to you and help you when I can."
"I know,father. Thank you" Elias said immediately, forcing a weak smile. "I need to wash up first and then lay my head on the bed for a little while. I promise to get the work done as soon as I can."
Gabriel watched him for a moment longer, suspicion flickering in his eyes. "You don't have to worry about that. The others will finish it up tomorrow. And don't forget to pray before you sleep. You'll feel better after. Don't forget to let me know when there's something bothering you. Okay?" he repeated.
" I will keep that in mind, father. Thank you and good night."
With a quick bow, Elias turned away before making his way towards his quarters. His heart still thrummed relentlessly in his chest. He didn't know why he hadn't told father Gabriel what he had seen. After all he seemed to always have the answers for everything. He should have asked him what he knew about demons but he knew that would only make him suspicious.
He tried to convince himself that he had only imagined the strange man… Azazel. He has been having weird dreams for days. Dreams he always forgot every morning when he wakes up.
When he finally got to his room,he shut the door and turned the key with shaky fingers. The sound of his ragged breathing filled the room.
He ran his duty stained fingers through his hair placing the other hand over his chest. "That wasn't real," he muttered. "Maybe my brothers were right. I am cursed. I am weird. It was only my weird imagination."
Then a soft sultry voice came from behind him startling him.
"You look like you have just seen a ghost."
Elias froze. He slowly turned around his lips parting in shock as he stared at the person in his bed.
Azazel laid on his bed one leg crossed over the other. An unholy smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. The light from the moon spilling through his window shone across his face making his features visible.
"Did I scare you?"