It was a truly strange period in my life, the last two months. Suddenly, everything became complicated. I was living a fairly peaceful life, I was actually happy, and I shouldn't have wanted anything more. Actually... And suddenly, these thoughts started. At first, I felt them as an inner restlessness—I couldn't find my place, it was wearing me down. Over time, they became more and more persistent, they became more specific, and I started thinking about leaving. Sometimes I even felt like these weren't my thoughts at all, but someone whispering in my ear. A voice like an old gramophone record, repeating over and over again: "You have to leave, you have to find it, you have to leave..." And so it went on, more or less constantly. You can probably imagine how incredibly unnerving it was. And I did feel a growing and urgent need for a change of scenery, a need to travel, and the further the better. But I had my own life, I had a boyfriend, a job, and school, not to mention smaller responsibilities. I was afraid... the longer it lasted, the more afraid I was that I would do something unpredictable, something I would regret... but at the same time, the prospect was very appealing.
That day... It was a warm day, one of the first warm days this spring. I was driving home, and of course, a million thoughts were swirling in my head. What should I do, why should I do this, and why the hell are the batteries in my CD player dying again when I'd just replaced them? I was angry at the whole world, angry at myself, and at those damn batteries. And when I reached home, I made a decision. "Yes," I thought, placing my foot on the first step of the stairs, "I'll do it, pack up, and leave."
***
Dominik paced nervously in the waiting room outside Skrzypek's office. Behind the black leather-upholstered door, his fate and that of the girl hung in the balance. The girl who could have died because of his stupidity. It was hard to pinpoint what he was feeling now. Whether he was afraid, nervous, angry, for sure, but above all, he was impatient. He had been waiting here for half an hour, half an hour that could have been spent searching for Her. And they still hadn't made a decision. When he approached the wood-paneled wall again, he slammed his fist against it hard, and Violin's secretary looked at him anxiously. He had always flirted with her subtly whenever he had the chance, but this time he wasn't even aware of her presence. He slowly began to think clearly, to analyze what had happened. "So she's moved, she's moved to one of the dimensions, unfortunately, of course, we don't know which one. Hell, we don't even know how many there really are; they keep disappearing and new ones appearing. If I remember correctly, the last number cataloged was somewhere around 22 billion. And all I can do is pray that She's on one of the top ten lists, because then maybe we'll find Her," he thought
.
"- Calm down, everything is perfectly fine. It's just the exhaustion. Yeah... deep breath... I'll count to three and open my eyes... OK. one... two... three... Damn it... Just don't get nervous... I wonder if this is how mental illness manifests itself, hehe, but I'd be kidding if it turned out I'd gone crazy... no, no, no! In the current situation, these aren't the best possible thoughts... Let's try again. One... two... three... and let's just...!!! OK, Hania, OK, there's no forest here, no clearing, and no yellow flowers, you're in your own stairwell right now, and this is just a dream, well, you'll definitely wake up soon and everything will be normal again... hmm... oh, stump, okay, let's try... well, stump, it seems quite real and quite comfortable for a damn stump that comes from nowhere! Deep breath, okay, let's calm down. Well, you never know in life, after all. Let's just say it's a stump, well, there's nothing unusual about it, just a stump, a forest, some grass, some pretty yellow flowers - cool... a bird... oh, fuck, two suns isn't quite normal anymore!!."
***
"Hey, boss, in about 15 minutes. We'll be there!" Fayer nodded. He knew perfectly well where they were, but he liked his men to keep an eye on everything and keep him informed.
The cavalcade of wagons and horses stretched for a good half mile. Fayer was a trader, a damn good trader. Thanks to his innate talents, he had built a powerful empire out of nothing in 20 years. There was nothing he couldn't get and deliver on time. He was also a very handsome man, tall, powerfully built, usually head and shoulders above all the men around him. Despite this, a woman who had been with him once never returned willingly. The animals didn't like him either, except for his horse, Ravi, but that was a remarkably mischievous brute. It seemed this stemmed from his rather specific view of the world.
"OK, boss, we're here. Should we wait?" David knew what the answer would be, but five years of working for J. Fayer had taught him that what he knew was usually completely irrelevant. "
No, I'll catch up.
" "Of course, incredibly surprising," David thought ironically, turning in the saddle to see his boss enter the narrow path leading deep into the forest.
"It's been almost 20 years. 20 years of me coming to this clearing, 20 years of opening a safe under a felled oak tree, 20 years during which everyone learned it wasn't healthy to try to follow me, or even just to be in this area." A grim smile appeared on Fayer's face. "Who would have thought 20 years ago that I would become who I am?"
He enjoyed these rides to His Glade, as he called it; it had become a tradition, a ritual that, through its repetition, soothed him. But this time was different. He sensed something in the air he'd never noticed before. As he emerged from the forest, he drew his sword—something was wrong.
***
The girl sat almost in the middle of the clearing, on the trunk of a felled tree. She had a slightly lost expression, as if unsure of what she was doing there. When she heard the crack of branches breaking, she raised her head and...
The man's appearance was betrayed by the branches snapping under his weight. Well, stealth had never been his strong suit. The sight he saw surprised him; he'd expected an opponent, but instead found a woman. She looked at him as he moved toward her, and in her eyes...
She wasn't frightened; at that moment, she was rather curious about the man approaching her. She studied him; he exuded a primal strength and had something alluring about him. When she looked at him...
He sheathed his sword, thinking that a different weapon would be useful in a fight with her. She wasn't afraid of him and clearly had no idea who she was. There was something strange about her; he didn't know if it was her scent or the aura she exuded, but he felt he had to have her.
His face changed. The girl knew that look, and it began to dawn on her that her situation wasn't so rosy. Slowly, she stood up and began to retreat toward the not-so-distant forest wall...
She rose, wanting to escape him. He wouldn't let that happen—he quickened his pace. His senses were heightened; he felt as if he could feel her with every fiber of his being; he'd never felt such overwhelming desire before. He saw her suddenly...
She turned and began to run. She desperately wanted to be anywhere else now. She felt fear creeping over her, the cold slowly filling her. She heard loud footsteps behind her; the forest was so close now, she felt...
He caught her, caught up, and caught her. Yes, she was his now, she wouldn't escape him anymore. He turned her around and looked straight into her large eyes, ripped her shirt off in one swift movement. When he felt her bare skin, his desire intensified. But she...
She struggled, not fully realizing she had no chance against him. She struggled, trying to free herself. He held both her hands with one hand, the other touching hers. She felt his touch and felt his lips. She managed to free herself, with all her strength...
She scratched him, digging her nails deep into his cheek, leaving red welts. The sensation he experienced was incredible, nothing to do with pain. He wanted more of her. He slapped her hard across the face, she staggered, and fell. Yes, he was the master... She
didn't feel the blow, suddenly saw a flash of light, and somehow she found herself on the ground. She tasted blood in her mouth, her own blood, and he was leaning over her.
She was defenseless and completely in his power, yet he still saw the rebellion in her eyes. If she could... but he wouldn't give her that option, he leaned down and tore off the rest of her clothes.
She tried to fight back, but when he turned her onto her stomach, she realized there was no chance of escape. She felt his weight on her, and a moment later, she felt him inside her. Something suddenly exploded in her mind, and she no longer cared...
He had never felt such a violent fulfillment. He had won, even though she had suddenly stopped struggling. He rose and turned her face to him. Her eyes were completely empty. He tossed her his cloak.
"Get up!"
Those were the first words to break the silence in that forested corner. Startled birds flew from the trees
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