Valentine.

Five Years.

For full experience, readers are encouraged to read with music.

Hours later, I stand in the bathroom staring down my reflection in the mirror. My eyes sweep all over my naked body, unable to ignore the fresh rouge lettering inked into my right collarbone. It reads: 'Property of Valentine'. How classy of him.

Slowly tracing my fingers along the ruby characters that were now a permanent part of my body, I think back to the flashing madness in his eyes as he did this to me. The same flashing eyes he always donned when he was up to absolutely no good. Well, usually, people died, when his temper rose, so I might actually count myself lucky all I got was a tattoo. Some meet worse fates...like Henry. My chest grows heavy at the thought of his name, and I combat the urge to curl up in the tub and bawl my eyes out.

The pain, having long been subsided by Valentine "out of mercy", is now just a dulling, tingling sensation. My skin still feels sensitive, so I am careful not to tamper with it too much.

Sucking in a deep breath, I turn towards the large steel-framed washing basin and pull down on the heavy lever, releasing a steady stream of steamy hot water. In a few minutes, I have the tub filled and lathered with rubbing oils. Cautiously stepping into the basin, I pause for a moment as the heat of the water salutes my skin with a light warning. After taking some time to adjust to the temperature, I finally allow myself to sink in and for the first time in two days, the strain is released from my shoulders.

The water feels incredible against my skin, even more so where Valentine had left his brand. I close my eyes and allow my mind to travel; Travel back to that night 5 years ago. The night that changed everything. The night I became his Papillon.

**********

Upon finally reaching the opening, I am greeted by an extravagantly thick tree trunk that had been broken off at the top. Its sharp edges are in a smoking display as a result of it having just been freshly grazed by a mighty bolt of lightning.

With a heaving chest accompanied by an insatiable desperation, I spin myself around in frantic circles trying to pinpoint the source of the noise. "Hello! Is anyone here?" I call out.

Silence.

"Hello!" I try again, but once more, I am met with nothing short of my own voice bouncing off the overgrown shrubs and echoing up into the sky. An earthy combination of chirping crickets accompanies the soft whistle of the wind as a growing darkness slowly begins to engulf the woods.

Staring up at the dark clouds rolling in at an abnormally rapid pace and blocking the clearing from the moon's glow, I decide it is time to go. Being in the middle of a blocked off 'murder' forest alone, in the middle of the night was bad enough; I had no desire to push my luck by remaining here once the last source of light had become obscured.

Turning on my heel to tread my way back, I am seized in my tracks by a sudden bright flash coming from the destroyed tree trunk, illuminating what appeared to be the outlines of a trapdoor.

"How can this be? A door in the middle of the trunk?" I think to myself, contemplating my own sanity. In the meantime, the purple clouds overhead have now completely covered half of the dulling moon, further drenching my surroundings in a gloomy, ill-lit blanket. Shudders engulf me as heavy drops of rain, escorted by forceful winds, swiftly replace the once still air. The storm's icy droplets drench me from head to toe as they make their way through the rips left in my jacket by the forest's merciless thorns.

Rolls of thunder tremble the ground as the winds fasten their deafening pace. I can no longer see anything in front of me, for the last rays of the moon were now taking refuge behind the hazy clouds. Pieces of flying debris flood the atmosphere, creating a deadly tornado that was ready to splice anything in its sight. Taking cover, I dash over to the tree, feeling desperately around for a handle. Blood oozes down my fingertips, as splinters pierce their way into my recklessly distressed hands.

Shifting my weight to pound against the wooden surface, I lose my balance to the hatch's loose hinges, and tip forward. I screech as I feel myself reel forward into a whirly ditch. Thankfully, I land on my back with a harsh thud as tiny residuals of the once sturdy door, lay sprawled out all around the dirt floor surrounding me.

Swiftly recovering from my fall, I crouch up on my knees in astonishment. I seemed to be in the middle of some sort of dirt tunnel. The small opening through which I'd just plummeted, gives sight to a violent storm fuming high above. As I hug my arms to myself, my reverie is cut short by a faint scuffle, not too far off into the distance.

"Hello?", I call out softly squinting up ahead. As my eyes finally adjust to the suffocating darkness of the trench, I am able to make out the faint outline of a pair of heavy, dark boots. Cautiously, my gaze travels its way up the heaving form who was suddenly planted right in front of me. Though it takes a while, my eyes eventually reach the top of the towering figure.

The first thing that draws my attention is his snow-white hair, which is currently in a disheveled bundle atop of his head. I then take in the rest of his face. His lips are pulled back in a tight sneer, revealing a bright set of bold, white teeth. Almost whiter than his hair. His sharp jaw is subtly ticking in fury as he returns the surprised look I have unknowingly been offering.

His pale face shines bright under the sliver of moonlight currently streaming its way in through the opening. Despite the dark circles underlining his eyes, he is devastatingly handsome with an unusually vivid aurora.

The next thing I notice, however, pulls the ground from beneath me. This was definitely no ordinary man standing in front of me...

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