Cursed Desire

The Visitor

Lana had learnt her lessons, she now knows better than making lackadaisical explorations and pork nosing around. Maybe Blackmoor's Mansion isn't such a nice place to be; but maybe, just maybe if she learns to mind her business everything will be fine.

So Lana now only spends most of her time in the Library and in her room. Her chains have been fastened back to her feet, the only freedom she knows is one which is spelt out to her in plain text.

Still trapped and shackled in her circles of torment, she woke up and was on her way to the library. She walked slowly, emotionally batard and unconscious of her surroundings. She did not notice someone was walking towards her direction.

She suddenly bumped into Lord Frederick Alexandra, she immediately regained consciousness at once and tried to adjust herself. She had used her slippers to tamper with his neatly polished black leather footwear.

Lord Frederick took in a deep breath and scoffed

“Oh mine, this one is worse than the last one” Lord Frederick said in a faint tone

Although Lana was still wrapped up about the incident and was still trying to render her heartfelt apology. She couldn't help but notice Frederick's obscure statement.

“Am sorry, what do you mean by the last one?” She asks in a deep sense of profound curiosity.

Before Lord Fredrick could draw in another breath, Caldwell's voice broke up their conversation.

“Oh Lord Frederick, you're here already” Caldwell said with a projected voice

Frederick immediately diverted his attention away from Lana to Caldwell. He turned around, smiled and said

“Yes Mr Caldwell, I am here”

He then walked closer towards where Caldwell was.

“Hope the weather was favorable to you” Caldwell said as he tried to extend generous pleasantries.

“Well I wouldn't say so myself” Frederick replied with a big sigh

“So where is he?” He asked as he used his eyes to navigate Blackmoor's Mansion

“He's inside, he's been expecting you” Caldwell replied

“Alright then, let's get to it” Lord Frederick asserted

Both men walked away, leaving a curious and confused Lana behind. Everything about Blackmoor's Mansion has a malevolent touch of unforseen mysteries. Again the cat was tempted to spy on her master, but she had learnt her lessons. She turned around and went straight to the library.

In Blackmoor's office, Lord Frederick and Dominic Blackmoor were both engaged in very serious yet subtle conversation.

“You know Blackmoor, you my friend, you've never ceased to amaze me. And this time you choose a clumsy country girl for the ritual” Frederick said as he chuckled as though a had a toad stuck in his throat

Blackmoor placed both hands on his desk, and balanced his weight evenly on his chair. He then took in a deep breath and said

“You Frederick, I believe this is the part where you quit beating around the bush and go straight to the point……”

“...I've done my rituals, Blackmoor!” Frederick said as his voice interrupt's Blackmoor's speech

“You're next in line, and you barely have three months left!”

Blackmoor locked both palms together, gazed deeply at the dazzling rings he wore on each finger of his palm.

“Have you come to mock me, Lord Frederick?” He asked in an inquisitive yet inauspicious tone

Frederick chuckled softly in confusion.

“I would be a fool to mock a guru, time is no longer on your side, Lord Dominic. Acting fast is the best option you've got right now” Frederick said with a firm voice mixed with a faint tone of concern

“It’s a blessing to those who acknowledge it, but a deadly curse to those who fail to be prudent. Do have a nice day, Lord Dominic!”

As Frederick uttered his last statement, he rose up from his seat and made for the exit. He drew closer to the door then paused a bit.

“You're an Alpha dominic, if not for yourself at least, do it for the sake of your Beta”

After he said this he pulled the door open, and walked away. Dominic sat behind the enclosures of his desk, deeply sunk and lost in his own thoughts. Even this repulsive enigma happens to have his own nightmares.

In the quest to find peace in the midst of such alarming discomfort, he made his way to the library where Lana was. This time not to torment her but to find solace in the gentle sound of her voice.

He walks into the library and spots Lana from afar, as she uses a ladder to gently arrange each book on its shelf. She worked it out like an expert, Blackmoor then drew closer to where Lana was but Lana had not noticed him yet.

“Have you worked in a library before?” The sudden sound of Blackmoor's voice startled her

Immediately she turned around and saw Blackmoor, fear was written all over her face.

“Oh I'm sorry Sir, I didn't see you there. Is there anything you want me to get for you?” She asked in a shaky voice

“No nothing in particular” Blackmoor replied

He immediately noticed the deep sense of fright written all over Lana's face. She was drowning in her own pool of anxiety. So Blackmoor decided to ease the tension with a little bit of chitchat.

“So did you once work in a library” Blackmoor rephrased the same question

Lana giggled mildly and said

“My father own private library, so I picked up a thing or two whenever I'm around him”

“Oh wow, that's wonderful. So where is he?”

“He passed away, five years ago” Lana said in a sad and dull tone

“Oh oh so sorry to hear” Blackmoor said as he sympathize with her

“So what about your mother?” He asked again

Lana scoffed in a deep pain mixed with a faint hint of laughter

“My mother she…she died a long time ago, when I was just eight years” Lana said with her eyeballs almost flooding with tears. But she held on and did not allow it to drop

“You know, dad was okay until mom passed away. After then he switched to alcohol to ease his pain, but it only caused more pain. He soon got diagnosed with Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome”

Blackmoor scoffed

“What's that?” He asked referring to the last statement Lana made

“It's a brain disorder caused as a result of excessive consumption of alcohol. It deteriorates your brain from the inside until there's nothing left. Father was a good life just wasn't fair to him”

After Lana made her last statement, the drum of tears she had withheld broke out and started dripping out. Blackmoor immediately felt an unexplainable and unquantifiable feeling of emotions for her as he rushed to hold and comfort her.

As he held her, her skin was soft and tender, so tender that a little bit of pressure might make them red. He held her face up and used his palm to wipe her tears away. He then hugged her firmly in the comfort of his warm embrace.

“Your father never knew what he had, else he would have loved and cherished you with all his heart” Dominic said as he slightly strengthened his grip around Lana, to make her feel deeper comfort and consolation.

Lana on the other hand, though sunk in a mixed feeling of sadness and pity, still couldn't help but notice the level of kindness that Blackmoor was emitting towards her. She always knew there was more to Blackmoor than what meets the eyes, but she never knew pure kindness was one of it.

But within the midst of two wooden shelves there Caldwell stood speechlessly, as he watched Blackmoor and Lana from afar embracing themselves………