A Curse Love: Bound by Shadow

I tightened my grip on my worn leather bag as I stepped off the bus, staring down the unfamiliar street ahead. Blackwood was exactly what I’d hoped it would be—quiet, remote, and forgotten by time. This town was my chance to leave my old life behind, to escape the fractured memories I couldn’t shake, no matter how far I’d run before. The town seemed strange, in a way I couldn’t quite place. It was small and bleak, as though the weight of its history seeped into the stone walls of each crumbling building. And everywhere, dense forests loomed at the edge of my vision, casting shadows that stretched across the town like claws. This was a place to disappear, and that’s exactly what I wanted. The library was my new sanctuary. It was a relic of a building, with arched windows and ivy creeping up the stone walls. The smell of old paper and polished wood hit me the moment I stepped inside—a smell I’d always found comforting, like safety and distance from the world. I didn’t know what I’d expected, but this was better than I could’ve asked for. Just as I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding, I noticed a woman watching me from behind the front desk. She was older, sharp-eyed, with silver hair pulled back in a severe bun and a gaze that felt as if it could cut through glass. “You must be Amelia.” Her voice was clipped, every word crisp and deliberate, as though she weighed each one. I gave a small nod and forced a smile, my voice shaky but polite. “Yes, that’s me. And you must be Evelyn?” “That’s right.” She extended a hand, and her grip was surprisingly strong, firm enough that I almost winced. “Welcome to Blackwood Public Library. I hope you’re here for the right reasons.” Her words caught me off guard, but I nodded. “Thank you. I… I just needed a quiet place to settle for a while. Somewhere with a slower pace.” “A slower pace, hmm?” She didn’t smile, only studied me with an expression that was hard to read. “Blackwood is quiet, in its way. But still waters run deep here.” I couldn’t tell if she meant it as a warning or just an observation. She had this eerie, assessing gaze, like she knew why I was here—or, worse, that she knew the parts I wanted to leave behind. After a beat, she turned and gestured for me to follow her through the rows of bookshelves. I trailed behind her as she led me deeper into the library. The floor creaked beneath our feet, and in the dim, golden light filtering through stained-glass windows, the place seemed otherworldly. The walls were lined with leather-bound books, many so old that the titles had faded. She pointed out the cataloging area, the checkout desk, and a cramped little room in the back where I’d be able to leave my things. “This is the west wing,” she said finally, stopping in front of a heavy, worn-looking door. “It holds the oldest texts. Few people ever come here, but… you might sense something.” I furrowed my brow. “Sense something?” She looked at me with that unreadable gaze, then nodded. “Blackwood has places that are… best left undisturbed. People don’t come here to dig for answers; they come to bury things. You’d be wise to remember that.” A chill settled into my spine, but I forced a small smile, feeling like I was stepping into a story someone else had already written. “I just need a place to work, Evelyn. Nothing more.” “Of course,” she replied smoothly, though I noticed her gaze lingered a second longer than was comfortable. “Still, be careful who you get close to here. The town has a way of sinking into you, more than you realize.” I gave a polite nod, though her words unsettled me more than I cared to admit. She was gone a moment later, leaving me standing alone in the west wing, surrounded by silence and the scent of old paper. --- It was late by the time I decided to pack up for the day. I’d stayed longer than I’d intended, familiarizing myself with the shelves, the catalog system, and trying to settle my thoughts. This town was the last place anyone would expect to find me, and yet… I couldn’t shake the feeling that Blackwood had been waiting for me somehow, like it was ready to swallow me whole. As I was gathering my things, I heard footsteps echo down one of the aisles. My pulse quickened. Evelyn had left hours ago, and I hadn’t seen anyone come in. The footsteps grew closer, each one steady, unhurried, until I felt the strange sense of being watched. I turned and found myself face-to-face with a tall figure emerging from the shadows of the shelves. He stopped just a few feet from me, close enough that I could see the sharp planes of his face—cheekbones that could cut glass, dark eyes that glinted with something dangerous, and lips pressed into a faint smirk. Everything about him seemed calculated, like he was daring me to break the silence first. “You’re new,” he said, his voice low and smooth, each word laced with an almost mocking amusement. I swallowed, suddenly feeling very small under his gaze. “I… yes. I just got here today.” “Amelia,” he said, his voice tasting of the name as if he were testing it. I frowned slightly. “How do you—” “Small town,” he interrupted with a lazy shrug. “Word travels fast. I’m Luca.” I couldn’t look away, even as something deep inside me told me that I should. His presence was intense, almost suffocating, yet I felt an inexplicable pull, like he was made of shadows and secrets that were begging to be unraveled. But there was an edge to him too, a darkness in his eyes that felt almost… familiar. “Well, nice to meet you,” I replied, my voice sounding embarrassingly breathless. I tried to ground myself, to stay calm, but his gaze was impossible to ignore, like it was pinning me in place. He just studied me, silent, assessing, as though he could see right through me. Finally, he tilted his head, a faint smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth. “What brings you to Blackwood?” The question sounded innocent enough, but there was something in his tone that made my pulse stutter. “Just looking for somewhere quieter,” I answered, hoping it would satisfy him. His lips twitched, as though he could sense the lie. “Quieter… Blackwood has its own version of quiet. It’s not the kind of place you come to forget.” I felt a flash of irritation mixed with the oddest flutter of excitement. “Well, maybe that’s just what I need.” He arched a brow, that knowing look never leaving his face. “Maybe. Or maybe you’ll find things here you’re better off leaving alone.” A beat of silence stretched between us. His words lingered in the air, heavy with implication, and I wondered if he knew more about me than he should. But the longer he looked at me, the harder it became to think straight. “Take care, Amelia,” he murmured, taking a step closer. The scent of him—something dark and woodsy, tinged with danger—filled my senses. “This town has a way of getting under your skin.” I opened my mouth to reply, but the words wouldn’t come. Instead, I could only watch as he turned and walked back into the shadows, leaving me standing alone, my heart pounding, with a strange, electric energy crackling through the air. As I stood there, the weight of his words lingered, settling into the quiet space he left behind.