“Why should I be the same as other people? I’m a pretty unique guy, you know?”
Her eyes widened slightly, the sheer audacity of his tone catching her off guard. But the moment passed as quickly as it came, and she gritted her teeth, realizing that he wasn’t going to stop.
‘He’s going to keep coming forward,’ she thought, her pulse quickening.
She hated what she was about to do. She hated the vulnerability it demanded, the raw exposure. But if it was the only way to stop him, to prove her point, then so be it.
Her trembling hands moved to the edge of her veil, her breath hitching as she hesitated. She could feel the marks beneath her fingertips, the cracks and discolored patches that marred her skin.
‘If this doesn’t drive him away,’ she thought bitterly, her chest tightening, ‘nothing will.’
With a sharp tug, she pulled the veil away, revealing her face fully.
The flickering firelight illuminated the marks that ran along her cheeks and jaw—blackened lines that spidered across her pale skin, interwoven with patches of cracked, rough texture. Her once smooth complexion was marred by the unmistakable evidence of her illness, a sight that had driven away so many before him.
“Prove it now!” she shouted, her voice raw and trembling. Her amber eyes burned with anger, fear, and a desperate challenge as she looked directly into Luca’s.
She searched his face, waiting for the inevitable. The flicker of revulsion, the subtle shift in his expression that would confirm what she already knew—that he was just like the rest.
But it didn’t come.
Instead, Luca’s gaze remained steady, his expression unchanged. If anything, his dark eyes softened slightly, as though her unveiling had only confirmed something he already suspected.
“See…” he said calmly, his lips curling into a faint smile. “It wasn’t that hard to show your face, was it?”
Aeliana froze, her breath catching as her mind struggled to process his words.
Luca crouched slightly, bringing himself to her eye level as his smile widened, a playful glint returning to his expression. “And look,” he said, pointing to his own face. “I’ve got a scar like yours.”
Her gaze followed his gesture, landing on the old scar that ran across his right eye, a pale, jagged line that seemed to cut through his otherwise sharp features.
“But,” he continued, tilting his head slightly, “I’m still handsome, aren’t I?”
Aeliana’s eyes widened, her mouth opening slightly in disbelief. Of all the responses she had expected, this wasn’t one of them.
“You…” she whispered, her voice barely audible as her mind raced to make sense of what she was seeing. “You’re not serious…”
“Why wouldn’t I be?” Luca said, his tone light but genuine. He leaned back slightly, crossing his arms as he regarded her with the same infuriating confidence he always seemed to exude.
Luca’s gaze didn’t waver, his expression unchanging as he continued to look at her, calm and steady. There wasn’t the slightest trace of pity or discomfort in his eyes—only a quiet confidence that seemed to envelop the space between them.
After a moment, he spoke, his voice low and deliberate. “Only those who are scared of the abnormal can’t stand differences,” he said, the faintest trace of a smile tugging at his lips. “But how can I call myself brave and strong if I’m afraid of something just because it’s different?”
Aeliana stared at him, her chest tightening as his words settled over her like a challenge to everything she’d come to believe.
“I,” Luca continued, his tone unwavering, “Lucavion, am scared of nothing.”
His declaration was bold, almost arrogant, yet there was no mockery in his voice—only certainty. He leaned forward slightly, his dark eyes glinting with a mix of intensity and curiosity.
“I don’t like monotony,” he said, his words measured but with a quiet fire behind them. “I don’t like looking at the same place, the same faces, over and over again. I embrace the unknown. It’s what makes life worth living.”
Aeliana’s fingers twitched, still clutching the veil she’d pulled away, her mind spinning as she struggled to reconcile his words with the reality she had always known.
“And you,” Luca said, his voice softening slightly as his gaze swept over her face, “and your scars… they’re nothing but a difference in terms of some arbitrary beauty standard. They don’t define you.”
He straightened slightly, crossing his arms again, the faint smile returning to his lips. “And I embrace that difference.”
Her breath hitched, her amber eyes wide as she stared at him, trying to find some crack in his words, some hint of dishonesty. But there was none. His expression, his tone, everything about him radiated a certainty that left her both shaken and speechless.
“You…” she began, her voice trembling, “you really mean that?” The question felt foreign on her tongue, as though she didn’t quite believe she was asking it.
“Of course I do,” Luca replied without hesitation. “Why wouldn’t I?”
Aeliana’s grip on her veil loosened, her hands falling limply to her sides as she continued to search his face for the reaction she had come to expect but couldn’t find. The disgust, the fear, the condescension—it was all absent.
Instead, he stood there, calm and unbothered, his words echoing in her mind: I embrace the unknown.
Her chest tightened, a mix of emotions threatening to spill over. For so long, she had built her walls high, expecting anyone who approached to tear them down and leave her more broken than before. But Luca hadn’t even tried to scale them. He had simply stood there, steady and unyielding, as if daring her to believe him.
Aeliana’s voice was barely above a whisper as she asked, “How can you be so certain? So… unafraid?”
Luca’s smirk deepened slightly, a glint of amusement flickering in his dark eyes as he looked directly into Aeliana’s. The intensity of his gaze softened, replaced by a warmth that felt disarming and inexplicably steady.
“That,” he said, his tone light and teasing, “is a secret.”
Before Aeliana could respond, he turned on his heel, his coat swaying lightly with the movement, and strolled back toward the fire. His steps were unhurried, as though the weight of their conversation hadn’t lingered on him in the slightest.
He sat down beside the flickering flames, leaning back casually against a rock. Reaching out, he stoked the embers with a small stick, his movements calm and deliberate.
“Come,” he said after a moment, his voice laced with the faintest hint of teasing. “You’ll get cold sitting over there.”
The gentleness in his tone caught her off guard. It wasn’t condescending or pitying—it was simply an invitation, simple and unassuming.
Aeliana blinked, her mind still reeling from everything he had said. Her fingers hovered near her veil, trembling slightly, but she didn’t lift it again. Her thoughts raced, tangled between disbelief, confusion, and a small, fragile warmth she couldn’t quite place.
She hesitated, her body still tense as she glanced toward the fire. The warmth it radiated seemed so inviting compared to the cold wall she had pressed herself against. But the idea of moving, of closing the space between them, felt monumental.
Luca didn’t look at her directly, but his smirk lingered as he tossed the stick into the fire and stretched his arms. “Or you can stay there, I suppose,” he said, his voice taking on a mockingly thoughtful tone. “But don’t blame me if you freeze to death before morning. I’ve been told I’m not much of a rescuer twice in one night.”
Aeliana’s lips twitched, an almost-smile threatening to surface despite herself.
‘What is with this man?’ she thought, exhaling shakily.
Finally, with a deep breath, she pushed herself to her feet, her legs still trembling slightly. She took a tentative step forward, her gaze flicking between the fire and Luca, who hadn’t moved from his spot.
As she drew closer, his smirk widened ever so slightly, though he didn’t say a word.
Aeliana lowered herself cautiously onto the ground, settling near the edge of the fire’s warmth but still keeping a careful distance from him. She folded her legs beneath her, her fingers clutching the fabric of her skirt as she stared into the flames.
For a moment, the only sound was the crackling of the fire.
“See?” Luca said finally, his tone still carrying that infuriating mix of teasing and gentleness. “Much better, isn’t it?”
Aeliana shot him a sidelong glance, her amber eyes narrowing slightly, though the tension in her shoulders had eased. “You’re insufferable,” she muttered, her voice quieter than she intended.
Luca chuckled, leaning back with a satisfied grin. “Maybe,” he said easily. “But at least you’re not freezing anymore.”
Aeliana looked away, focusing on the dancing flames as her lips pressed into a thin line. Despite her lingering frustration, she couldn’t deny that the warmth of the fire—and the strange, unyielding presence of the man beside it—was a small comfort she hadn’t realized she needed.