APRICITAS [ENG] || Johan Liebert || Monster

Chapter 21 - The Mirror

After a few long seconds, it was finally interrupted by heavy raindrops falling on the outside windowsill. The girl smiled to herself.

"...Did you want something?" For the first time, the mockery was felt in her voice. Oh how true at this point has it become to say that "whoever you hang with, that is what you become." She knew that this was the only way the Monster couldn't hurt her in any way, so she decided to play her little, unexpected role as best as possible.

Johan leaned slightly sideways against the doorframe, gazing casually at the glass, which was now drowning in the pouring rain.

"Do you want being struck by the lightning? I thought you valued your life more, Emiko." The sky was torn by lightning again, followed by a deafening rumble.

"Do you want an honest answer?" The young woman crossed her arms without moving from her place. "I thought it's a lack of manners to answer by a question to the question, Johan."

This sparing exchange of sentences was followed by a brief silence, which was unexpectedly interrupted by outbursts of a loud laughter. Emiko was still looking at the door, only this time with a slight surprise... mixed with inner satisfaction.

'And here, I've got you...' she thought with satisfaction, realizing that she had just managed to fend off his first "attack" without damage of her well-being, making her lips widen in a slightly larger smile.

"...You see?" Johan, with a slight hint of amusement still written on his face, looked in her direction again. "We are not that different, Emiko." At these words, the girl felt some unpleasant feeling inside of her, but she decided to ignore it and shrugged her shoulders casually.

"We may be similar, but we will never be the same."

"So you are not denying it?" The young man came down from the threshold of the door and came close enough for her, to be able to look each other in the eye.

Both irises were like a mirror, reflecting the whole world in the colors of blue... and at the same time they were so different from each other. Though Johan's eyes could see the depths of the ocean, calm and undisturbed, hiding dark uncharted secrets, in Emiko's eyes was reflected the ever-burning fire, showing all her inner emotions and deepest beliefs that couldn't be broken.

Water and fire; elements that are able to exclude each other, or connect, depending on the situation in the natural environment - fire can be extinguished by the water, and the flood disappears at high temperature. But isn't it, when being together - cold and hot - can create the storm and the lightning?

The fifth element that connects the others...

"I don't confirm it, as well." She replied impassive, still standing with her arms crossed. As if nothing had happened, the man walked over to the window next to her and then closed it tightly. As another lightning bolt tore the sky, the roar that followed seemed somewhat muffled.

"You should go to the bathroom and change your clothes. You're soaking wet."

'So what, maybe >a good afternoon< fire that will dry me?' She thought ironically.

"I'll be alright." She replied still not moving from her place, at the same time deciding to prove to him that she didn't intend to do as he wished. 'Not everything will go according to your plan, Johan.'

"Oh?" The man leaned slightly over her standing figure, resting one of his hand on the windowsill. "Would you prefer me to do it for you?" These quiet, calmly whispered words that reached her ears quickly washed away all her confidence from just a moment ago. Her heart started pounding in her chest, and a large blush appeared across her cheeks.