When A Ghoul Falls In Love

When she wakes up, Eli -- not her Eli -- is sitting close to her bed, staring at her gloomily. 

He has his chin resting on his palm, elbow supported by the arm of the chair. 

His golden eyes have a strange gleam. The corners of his lips are curled down. Eli Sanguine looks bored and there's something else. It's bothering her a lot. 

Maybe she should get used to this, but she won't get used to being regarded as prey by him. 

Nell sighs. If Eli isn't real, there's nothing to be worried about. But he feels real. Even the kiss feels the same except for the fact that he doesn't love her -- not as her Eli does.

He is right next to her, but she's missing him -- the other him. How is he faring without her? She's sure that he must be crying his eyes out right now. 

Hopefully, Devil will comfort him. Nell lets out another sigh. Devil must be happy that she's gone. Without her being there, he can have all of Eli to himself. 

"Why are you sighing like an old woman who is full of regrets?" 

Nell glances at him. "Why do you think?"

"Shouldn't you be happy that someone as handsome and beautiful as me has been watching you when you were asleep?" Eli tilts his head, smiling darkly. "Girls like fantasising about that."

"I have no idea what type of girls you are talking about." Nell replies with a deadbeat tone, "But that's not attractive to me. I don't like creepy men who study me as prey while thinking of seducing me." 

Eli chuckles. "You can see through me."

"I know much more about you than you know." Nell sits up. Her muscles feel stiff. She stretches her arms. "Let's discuss why you are here after we have some breakfast."

"Okay." Eli picks up his phone. "What do you want to eat? You didn't have dinner or lunch yesterday. It's no wonder… I have another question."

"Ask away." Nell runs her fingers through her hair. Why is she still sleepy? She wants to sleep more. But next to a ghoul who is watching her in a creepy way? Right! She's betrothed to one of them. Well, both of them are creepy. "What's stopping you?"

"Why are you at a level zero?" Eli raises his brow. "You have magic, but you didn't even have an initiation yet. Did you even try to work on a core formation? What do you even want to be? What is the source of your magic? Are you going to be a witch?"

"I haven't given it a thought yet," She mutters. 

"I guess you don't know much." He frowns. "There are different types of techniques. I am a sorcerer."

"I guess so." She shrugs. "And Nereza?"

"She's a s.u.c.c.u.b.u.s." Eli blinks his eyes. "A mixed breed, precisely. Most of her are demonic, but there's a part of god in her. I don't know which god."

"S.u.c.c.u.b.u.s." Nell knits her brows together. That will be hard. What if this guy is attracted to her because of her skills in bed? "Wait! If Nereza isn't real here, then you didn't exactly have s.e.x with her here yet. Then, you are still a v.i.r.g.i.n."

Eli smirks at her, "Is it important whether I am a v.i.r.g.i.n or not?"

"Nope." Nell shakes her head. "Why would that be important? If you have more experience, the better it is."

"Is it?" Eli climbs on the bed. "Maybe we should start practising now."

Nell places her hand on his face. "No."

"Why?" He grabs her wrist. "What is the difference if it's me or the one who is wearing the bangle? He and I might be the same."

"You aren't." Nell states, "You are, but you aren't. I don't know how to explain this. I want to understand what is going on. Don't tell me that you find it normal to have one version of you here and another version of you on the other side of the mirror?"

He exhales. "You are no fun."

"You were so angry that you killed your family." Nell continues, studying him, "You cleaned up."

"I didn't want to freak out my fiancee," He grumbles. "So, tell me what the source of your magic is."

"It should be the moon." Nell creases her forehead. Something is different about him. Is he trying to gather information about her? What would she have done if she was in his position? "My father is a moon sorcerer. I also want to be a sorceress."

"There are witches and wizards, sorcerers, spirit cultivators, and --" Eli pauses, "Guardians. Beloved of Heaven, special, and they taste good."

"Huh?" Nell c.o.c.ks her head. "Taste good?"

"Do you know what a guardian is?" Eli questions her.

"No." 

"That's good." He nods his head. "Then, I wonder if I should tell you something about them."

"Go ahead."

"Guardians can break open any seal." He says, "They are mostly driven by intuition. They don't need any teachings. When the time is right, the right knowledge comes from within. But guardians can be quite evil if they choose to betray their patrons -- and the patrons can't take back what they have given to their subjects."

Nell wonders if he is talking about her.

"I have been told that your child would have been the moon guardian if you had given birth to it."

She widens her eyes slightly. "Nabi?"

"Yes." Eli replies, "You aren't asking me who told it to me."

"Whatever brought you and me here." Nell takes a deep breath. "It cannot be a coincidence that you are here or you found out that nothing is real except you and me after I came here. Someone told you about me and the other world. I am guessing: this thing also wants something else from you and me. What might that be? And why should I help it?"

"You aren't as dumb as you look." Eli looks away, brooding. "I don't feel anything."

"After killing your family?"

"Yes."

"Do you want to kill more?"

"Yes."

"Including me?"

"Yes."

"That's good to know." She climbs off the bed. "Order the breakfast."

Nell goes to the bathroom. Eli hears the sound of door locking and the shower. He lies down on the bed, inhaling her scent with closed eyes. What does he want?

She is right. The goddess wants something from him. It's not a coincidence that they are here.

Eli massages his forehead. What is stopping him from swallowing that woman alive? She is a moon guardian. His strength will grow tremendously if he eats her alive.

Yes, he is affected by her. She is smart, beautiful, and -- she makes him feel alive. He wants to own her, possess her, and take her to the bed. Why is he still letting her have her way? 

But a part of him also wants to devour her. 

"She is one of her kind." He clicks his tongue as he gets up. And she thinks that he might enter the shower if she keeps it unlocked. Eli shakes his head. He isn't an animal. He is a ghoul. If he is going to lose control, it won't be for d.e.s.i.r.e. He will kill her.

There's someone on the other side of the door. 

Eli narrows his eyes. This woman's first love and her husband in this world of mirage is Baek Joon Woo. How will she react if he kills this man?

She did get angry when he said it once.

"Should I or should I not?" Eli looks at his fingers. He hasn't tasted human meat in a long while. Should he start eating now? 

Nell's phone starts ringing. Eli lets out a sigh. It seems that the husband doesn't want to confront his wife. After contemplating for a moment, he picks up the call.

[Nell, when are you coming back home?]

"After we make love again," Eli chuckles and tells the caller, "she will return to you. It may take some time."

There's a long silence.

"I know that you have seen us leaving together yesterday. You are also in the corridor. The other side of the door. You still think that she will return to you as your wife." Eli pauses. "What makes you think that I will let her come back to you? It's over between you and her. If you want to keep your life, turn around and walk away. Think that she's dead."