Ensnaring his Dark Moon-Chapter 353: Imminent destruction

"Esme! Look at me!"

Esme opened her eyes, chest heaving as she panted. "I... No...’’ Her eyes were unfocused as she shook her head desperately.

Aleister grasped her elbows tightly, ’’Look at me, princess,’’ his tone softened as tried to not startle her as he called out her name again and again.

Esme’s eyes slowly regained focus. She looked at him. "Al...?" Under the pale glow of moonlight, she could see the worry and panic gradually fade from his face as she called his name.

’’You are awake,’’ Aleister hugged her tightly, a relieved sigh escaping his mouth.

Esme raised her hands to hold him but as she did so, something trickled down her elbow. The wet sensation made her look at her hand and a look of sheer horror crossed her face at the sight of blood.

Esme pushed Aleister away from her as she glanced at the small cut on her wrist as blood trickled down the cut. But what took her aback was the patches of blood on the nightgown. The crimson had spread all the way to her waist like a spider web but the blood was not hers.

Hesitatingly, she shifted her gaze away from her nightgown to Aleister’s body and her entire being froze when she saw his bleeding arm.

’’It’s fine,’’ Aleister reached out towards her when he saw the look on her face, ’’I am fine.’’

Esme stepped back from him, not letting him touch her, ’’What did I do?" she questioned.

’’You did not do anything, princess. Listen to me,’’ Aleister approached her again.

But Esme continued stepping back, the disbelief of her actions settling in on her as she looked at him, ’’Tell me, what did I do?" her eyebrows tugged together, a hint of throbbing pain settling on her head.

"You were trying to hurt yourself,’’ Seeing that she was not going to stop asking about it, Aleister opened his mouth to speak.

Esme followed his gaze and glanced at the dagger that lay idle on the floor and then she eyed his injured arm and palm.

’’I am fine, princess. These are just shallow cuts,’’ Aleister pulled her closer to himself.

Although they did not have any such boundary left between them but so as to not traumatize Esme’s father, the both of them lived in separate rooms. But it was a habit of Aleister’s to teleport himself to her room during nighttime. He could try his best to please his father-in-law but the absence of Esme in his arms just did not sit right with him.

So, just like every day, he had teleported himself to her room when it was past midnight but when he appeared in her room, he was greeted with the sight of Esme pressing a dagger to her wrist as blood trickled down her palm, falling on the floor.

The sight had made his heart leap to his throat and without a second thought, he had rushed towards her to stop her.

But she did not show any signs of stopping her actions. The more he tried to stop her, the further she became defensive and started attacking him. It was in the very last moment did he resorted to using his divine powers to stream inside her consciousness to stir her awake.

Esme did not say anything as she listened to Aleister, letting him hold her closely. Her heart was still disturbed by the events that transpired when she had just closed her eyes for a peaceful sleep.

"Everything is fine now,’’ Aleister stroked her back, ’’It was just a nightmare...’’

’’It was not,’’ Esme whispered, her dazed eyes looking out of the window, ’’It was not just a nightmare, Al.’’

’’Stop overthinking,’’ Aleister kissed the crown of her head. Although his brows were taut with worry, his voice did not reflect the concerns in his heart, ’’Everything is in the right place, princess. Nothing will go wrong now.’’

Aleister did not mention the forbidden name but Esme understood the meaning behind his words.

Marilyn was imprisoned. There was no threat from her. His father was keeping his eyes on her. She would not be able to harm them.

All those unsaid words were understood by Esme yet her heart was not at peace.

"She is back, Al,’’ Esme whispered, more to herself than to Aleister. Her heart trembled at the memory of the woman who had scarred her for her life without dropping her smile even once back in the hidden chambers of the Daven’s Castle, ’’She is back,’’ Esme mumbled, pulling back from Aleister as she sat back on the bed.

Aleister hooked a finger under her chin and lifted her face such that she was looking straight into his eyes, ’’Stop thinking about it.’’

’’She will destroy everything we have built,’’ Esme’s eyes welled up with tears, ’’She... The vision I saw was an imminent destruction that was coming our way. Just like Visteria fell back then, she would cause the downfall of Defire.’’

Aleister frowned, ’’Nothing will be destroyed...’’ 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

’’Are you saying that?" Esme looked straight into his eyes, her gaze sharp, ’’The spells on you and Cardan are tied to her life and death. If she dies, he dies. If she doesn’t die, then you... die,’’ her voice trembled towards the end of it.

Esme did not think she was overthinking. She had every reason to dread the existence that caused terror in her heart by just existing.

Esme was not as weak as she used to be and she had divine powers, even the mind-controlling ability yet Marilyn caused such fright in her heart. And barely through a dream, she was controlled to such an extent that she almost harmed herself. If Aleister did not come in time, what would have happened?

She had not seen Marilyn right now and others might not believe her words but a voice in Esme’s heart told her that it was her. It was none other than her.

Aleister released her chin as he sat beside her with one leg crossed above the other, observing the myriad of expressions crossing her face.

"Take me to that place,’’ Esme held his hand.

’’What place?" Aleister quirked a brow.

’’To the place that I saw in my dreams,’’ The fleeting vision of her stabbing that little girl was still vivid in her mind.