Julian felt a deep unease settle in his chest the moment he realized where Levi had brought him.
The air was thick with the stench of alcohol, sweat, and perfume, a suffocating mix that made his stomach churn. His steps faltered, and he instinctively reached up to cover his nose, his body rejecting the place entirely.
Levi, however, looked completely at ease.
"Where are you taking me?" Julian asked, his voice quiet, but the growing fear in his tone was unmistakable.
His eyes flickered around nervously—dim lights, groups of drunken witches and ghosts laughing, the distant sound of glass clinking, music pounding faintly in the background.
He had always seen them from the outside but never dared to step in.
And now, standing inside one, feeling the disgusting smell clogging his senses, he hated it even more.
Because it reminded him of the past.
He had spent too many nights waiting for her to come home. Too many nights watching her stumble in, smelling like alcohol, with hazy eyes that barely looked at him.
And now, being here—his body rejected the place entirely.
"Oh, come on, Julian, don’t act ," Levi drawled, rolling his eyes before grabbing Julian’s wrist and pulling him further inside.
Something felt wrong.
A sinking feeling settled deep in his gut as Levi dragged him down a more secluded corridor.
His breathing grew shallow, and he felt his chest tighten with rising anxiety.
The further they walked, the darker and quieter it became. The music faded behind them.
Instead, all Julian could hear was his own breathing and the occasional muffled voices behind closed doors.
There were so many of them.
Each one had a number carved into it, dimly lit by the faint golden glow of pretty lights on the wall.
Julian’s fingers curled into his sleeves, his heartbeat pounding in his ears.
Levi walked ahead, his stride casual, but the weird smile on his face sent a deep sense of dread into Julian’s bones.
She walked toward them quickly, head slightly lowered, avoiding Julian’s gaze.
In her hands, she held a small metal key.
Julian’s stomach twisted violently.
The witch didn’t speak. She simply handed the key to Levi, who took it with a pleased smile.
She nodded once, hurriedly turned, and disappeared down the corridor.
Julian’s breath hitched.
"Levi... what is this?" he whispered, his voice barely audible.
Levi simply tossed the key to Julian, his smirk widening.
"See for yourself," he said smugly.
Julian’s hands trembled as he caught the key.
He stared at it for a moment, his fingers curling around the cool metal, feeling his pulse hammering against his skin.
A part of him didn’t want to do this.
But another part—the part poisoned by the seeds of doubt Levi had planted—forced him to move.
He took a deep, shaky breath.
"Calm down," he muttered under his breath.
Then, with his heart pounding, he slowly reached for the lock.
Julian opened the door.
The room was dimly lit but the moment his eyes landed on the bed, his entire body froze.
His breath hitched violently.
There, on the bed, lay a long, white-haired woman.
On top of unknown ghost.
A ghost with striking features, gorgeous and delicate. His arms were wrapped around her, holding her as if she belonged to him.
And Ruby—she was naked.
Julian’s vision blurred. His hands trembled.
"No...no..." he whispered under his breath.
Then, the ghost beneath her groaned, his voice filled with pain.
"Don’t... don’t do this to me, Ruu..."
Julian felt like he couldn’t breathe.
"We used to love each other in the past... But you married someone else... and I left you. That’s why you started drinking, isn’t it?! Now I’m back, and you’re trying to prove yourself to me..."
Julian’s heart squeezed painfully, his chest tightening.
"I love you. Love me true. You haven’t touched anyone else, have you?"
The ghost’s voice was delicate, raw, filled with something heartbreakingly desperate.
The sound of skin slapping echoed in the room.
Loud. Sharp. Intense.
Julian flinched violently, his eyes shutting on reflex.
His stomach churned so hard he thought he might collapse.
His hands gripped the doorframe to steady himself.
But his mind went blank.
His thoughts scattered.
He couldn’t process anything.
His heart didn’t even have the strength to break—because it felt too numb to even feel pain.
The world around him fading away.
Julian couldn’t even hear Levi’s smug voice anymore.
Everything around him felt distorted, muffled—like he was underwater.
His hands trembled, his breath came out in sharp, uneven gasps. His body refused to move, yet his mind screamed at him to get out.
He didn’t know what to do.
The walls of the bar felt too close, suffocating.
His heart pounded so hard it hurt.
Without another thought, he shoved Levi aside and ran.
Ran without looking back.
"Julian, wait—!" Levi’s voice barely registered in his ears, but Julian didn’t stop.
He pushed through the crowd, shoving people aside, his vision blurred.
The suffocating smell of alcohol and sweat filled his lungs, making his stomach churn.
He needed to get out.
His feet pounded against the ground, faster, harder, as he tore through the lively market streets.
He didn’t know where he was running.
His breath came out in harsh sobs, his chest tightening, his throat burning.
When his legs couldn’t carry him any further, when the chaotic sounds of the market had faded into silence, he collapsed.
He hit the ground hard, knees scraping against the cold ground.
The night stretched around him, silent and heavy. A dense fog had settled across the land, curling around him like ghostly hands.
Finally, truly alone.
And for the first time since it happened—he sobbed.
His entire body shook with grief, with betrayal, with something so raw it made his fingers dig into the ground.
His house was far away from the big market. He had no money to go back. But more than that—
He didn’t want to go back.
—To be continued...🪄