The Devil's Trap

BLAZE’S lips curled into a devious smile while staring at the Mediterranean-style mansion in front of him. All the lights were on. From where he was standing, he could hear the loud music inside. There must have been a celebration going on. He would bet all his properties that everyone close to Sylvia had been invited to this revelry except him. She was giving him no choice but to invite himself in. Sylvia seemed to be having the greatest time of her life after all the chaos she had brought to him.

“You are still as silly as ever, Sylvia. Do you think you can hide from me forever?” Blaze muttered as he stepped towards the iron gate. Two human guards immediately blocked his path.

“Do you have an invitation card, sir?” one of them asked.

There was a cold, sinister flicker in Blaze’s eyes when he spoke. “I don’t have any. But I do know the owner of this mansion. She’s my good old friend. If you tell her my name, I’m sure she would rush over here to welcome me.”

“We are sorry, sir, but we cannot do that. We cannot open the gate for you if you do not have an invitation card.”

“I don’t mind. I can open it myself,” he said and stared at the gate. In a blink of an eye, the tall gates opened automatically.

The guards gasped. “H-how could this happen—“

Blaze looked straight in their eyes. “If you want to live longer, do not make a noise and just let me in.”

In an instant, the humans’ expressions became blank. Their brown eyes turned black as they lowered their heads and stepped aside. He tapped their shoulders before he entered the gate. “Excellent choice. Thank you, gentlemen.”

Patience was never his strongest virtue. If Blaze were the same person as before, he would not waste time going through the gates and having a chitchat with these humans. He would blast the gates open instead. But there was no need for a bloodbath tonight since death was too easy as a punishment for Sylvia’s betrayal.

When Blaze motioned his hand, the tall and wide mahogany door immediately opened for him. He walked straight ahead, aware that there were several curious eyes chasing his every move the second he stepped in, but he was too busy to care. He continued scanning the area until his eyes landed on the woman he had been searching for almost three decades now.

Sylvia was a few meters away from Blaze. She was looking at him wide-eyed as if she had seen a ghost. Her face became as white as paper. She had aged quite a bit. She had gray hairs now, but her face still had the power to corrupt people regardless of their species.

“And now, let us welcome our lovely birthday girl, Mikaela Dela Cerna!” the overly enthusiastic male host of the party announced.

The loud music mellowed down as a woman in her early twenties slowly walked down the stairway which diverted Blaze’s attention. She moved with natural grace. The birthday celebrant had the face the same as her mother, but for some reason, he found hers more endearing.

Her face looked extremely fragile and innocent; her body was a different matter, though. Her long black gown hugged her sinful curves so well. Her gown was the same color of her eyes and hair. They were as dark as the night which complimented her glowing, pale skin. The corner of his mouth turned up when their gazes met.

Now Blaze knew why Sylvia was in a panic. He just caught her weakness. Even if he was not looking at Sylvia, he could sense her walking towards him. He only broke eye contact with her daughter when she was finally in front of him.

“W-what are you doing here?”

“And hello to you, too, Sylvia.” He smirked. “It feels great to finally see you walking towards me. You were quite an expert in the game of tag. Who would have thought you would fake your death just to make me stop searching for you?”

When the crowd clapped as they sang a birthday song, Blaze glanced at them and used compulsion to control their minds.

Fear crossed Sylvia’s eyes as she stared at everyone who stopped moving and chatting. Her hands trembled when she spoke. “W-what did you do to them?”

Blaze just shrugged. “They are being too loud. I just kept them quiet for a while. We hadn’t seen each other for twenty-eight years. It would be a shame if I would let anyone disturb us as we catch up to each other.” When he inched closer, she took a step backward. “Come on, Sylvia. Why are you looking at me like that? Today is your daughter’s birthday party. Of course, as your dear best friend, I should not miss this important occasion. Anyway, long time no see, Sylvia. You look fine to me, so let’s skip the ‘how are you’ part. You look more than fine actually. Your life seems perfect,” Blaze pressed on as he casually glanced around the spacious living room inside Sylvia’s dream house.

The hollowness in his chest was back as his eyes landed at the huge family portrait of the Dela Cernas on the other side of the wall. They were the epitome of a happy family. Sylvia had achieved all of her goals after becoming human. She had the time of her life going to places she had dreamt of, met tons of people; fell in and out of love countless times until she finally met the human who swept her off her feet while he remained miserable until now.

“H-how did you find me? And how could you enter this house? This is protected by a spell!”

Blaze had already guessed that. That damn protection was the reason why he was not able to trace her sooner. He had always believed that Sylvia was alive somewhere. Monsters don’t die easily, after all. “Did you really think a mere spell from a low-level mage could stop someone like me? Besides, is this how you are going to treat a friend you hadn’t seen for so long? That hurts, Sylvia. Try to think of something more welcoming.”

“Blaze…”

He waited for her to say something, but when she didn’t, he finally snapped. There was suddenly a chilly sensation in the air. Sylvia’s eyes widened with anxiety as she fixed her shawl and embraced herself. She was shivering. “That’s it? You weren’t going to say anything? You just ran and hid after taking two lives away from me that night, Sylvia. Or have you forgotten about it already?” Her tears began falling, but she remained quiet.

Blaze lifted his hand. In an instant, the windows cracked along with the goddamn family portrait. Seconds later, they all broke. Sylvia almost jumped at the sound of the glass shattering.

“Answer me, damn it!”

“I know it’s my fault and I’m sorry, Blaze.”

Blaze let out a hollow laugh. Sylvia did not even bother to explain as if his family’s death was not worth mentioning.

“I’m so sorry,” Sylvia repeated in a broken voice.

“It’s too late for that.”

Blaze walked towards the center of the living room where the birthday celebrant stood beside her huge rainbow-colored cake. This human was lucky. She had been walking on sunshine all her life while his own child did not even get to celebrate her seventh birthday.

“No! Spare my daughter, please! Stay away from her! She’s innocent!” Sylvia cried out. When she was about to run to him, he stopped her with his hand which made her body unable to move. She watched helplessly as Blaze’s fingers grazed Mikaela’s soft and smooth cheek. Her skin was as delicate and as smooth as a baby’s. The sensation that ran through him surprised him as he looked into her eyes. She was looking at his direction, and if she were not frozen, he could get drowned in the depths of her eyes.

Mikaela’s lavender blood scent was like a potent drug, it engulfed his senses. It was strange, all blood scents for him were the same, but hers was different. He was suddenly tempted to bury his fangs deep in her skin to see if her blood would taste just as delicious, but he controlled himself. He had a lot of chances to have more of her body, more of her blood. His gaze dropped to her lips which reminded him of Cupid’s perfect bow.

He swallowed. “Your daughter is in danger, Sylvia. I heard that she was such a good girl. And in a world filled with monsters like us, she could get eaten alive.”

“Please have mercy!” She wept, and the sound of it filled the entire room. But those crocodile tears had no effect on him anymore. “My family have nothing to do with this, Blaze!”

“And so was my family, Sylvia. While my entire life stopped the day you killed my family, yours continued. And now that you got caught, you are asking for mercy? For something that you deprived me of? How dare you!” he roared as fury flashed in his eyes. This time, the lights exploded one by one which had Sylvia screaming once more. “My daughter had always been a good girl, too. You know that. But you did not spare her and my wife from your dirty little game. You’ve had your fun. Now, it’s my turn to play.”

“Please p-punish me instead—“

“And you think you alone will suffice? How foolish.”

“Blaze, please! Don’t do this to me!”

“I will be around from now on so remember not to let your guard down. Do everything you can to protect your sweet Mikaela. Make sure not to leave any opening. And lastly, tell your precious daughter to be wary of strangers. Because once I catch her, I swear I will ruin her, Sylvia. I would not stop until I make you and every person you love pay tenfold.” Blaze’s finger grazed the side of Mikaela’s mouth before he leaned closer. “Happy birthday, little one. See you again soon,” he whispered before he snapped his finger.

Just like that and everyone began moving again. Sylvia dropped on the floor as the guests wondered why the place was filled with darkness. They immediately took out their mobile phones to use as flashlight. Some were panicking while some even screamed when they saw the broken lights and windows. Blaze had watched as Sylvia continued to weep while both her husband and daughter ran to her side.

“Mom? What’s wrong? Why are you on the floor? And why are you crying? What’s going on?” Mikaela asked.

He was surprised to hear her sweet voice. Sylvia did not respond. She just looked at Blaze’s direction. He smirked and waved at her before he vanished.

When he appeared in his mansion, he stared at his hands. He could still remember Mikaela’s blood scent, her softness, and warmth underneath his palms. His green eyes glowed when he smiled for the first time in twenty-eight years.

“Soon, you will meet the man who will change the course of your life forever. Be careful, young lady. I could not see his face. All I could see in him was pure darkness. But you will know it’s him. Your heart will tell you that it’s him. And if you do meet him, stay far away from him. Because once he catches you, his darkness will devour you.”

Those words from an old man whom Mikaela had met in front of her studio suddenly popped in her head while running away from Landon, her suitor. The stranger from last week just vanished when she went to get him a snack and a glass of water since he seemed hungry.

He looked like a homeless old man; he wore a filthy gray shirt and tattered pants. He even walked barefoot. She could not see his face clearly because of his faded wide hat, mustache, and long white beard which almost reached his neck. She would have helped him find a shelter had he stayed longer in her studio, but he disappeared and left no trace.

And since Mikaela had become busy with her clients, she had eventually forgotten about him and his warning. She only remembered him now that she was in danger. Was the old man referring to Landon? If that was the case, then he was right. Because since the moment she saw Landon for the first time, every fiber of her being had immediately detected threat.

Ever since Mikaela was young, she could see people’s aura although no one, not even her family or her closest friends, knew about it. She was scared that her ability might turn them off. She was also unsure whether they would believe her or not. Worse, they might even question her sanity. Even Mikaela was still surprised at times by the colors that she got to see from different people.

She could easily distinguish a person’s personality and emotions based on the color of their aura. The darker the aura, the more dangerous the person would turn out to be. She had proven that so many times before which was why she stayed away from those people as much as possible. That was also the reason why she turned Landon down even if he was the only son of her father’s business partner. But he became more obsessed with her after the rejection and even stalked her later on.

Landon had only stopped harassing her when he was caught using drugs in a high-end club. His parents had sent him to a rehabilitation center afterwards. It had been a year since that. She had no idea that he had been released.

And to think that she escaped from her bodyguards tonight. What perfect timing.

Mikaela bit her lower lip as she ran towards the alley. Her chest was pounding. She had been reciting all the prayers she knew in her mind ever since she saw Landon standing beside her car at the parking lot. She shivered when she remembered how he waved at her. He gave her goosebumps when he licked his lower lip as he ran his gaze up and down her body with that horrible glint in his eyes.

“Hello, babe. I missed you badly. Did you miss me, too?” He even had the audacity to tell her those words earlier.

Mikaela did not bother responding. She ran right away when she saw his black aura. It was gray before. But it was a lot worse now. She would have gone back to the bar to ask help from her friends, but she saw his peers there who were also involved in a drug scandal. Their auras were as dark as Landon’s. They were at the entrance of the bar, chatting with the guards while looking around as if they were searching for someone.

“I’m sorry, Mom. I should have listened to you,” Mikaela uttered helplessly while cursing herself for forgetting to charge her phone before leaving home. She had it in her purse, but it was useless now. Its battery had died before she could make a call.

Mikaela felt suffocated. That’s why she escaped from her bodyguards tonight and went to the bar on her own. She was surrounded by them all her life. She originally had two bodyguards. Having them already felt stifling enough. But after her twenty-third birthday, instead of removing her bodyguards like her parents had promised, they added two more. They seemed agitated these days as they reasoned out that it was because of her father’s enemies in politics since her father was a governor and was planning to run for Congress next election.

Yet, Mikaela still felt cheated. A big part of her wanted to break free from the kind of life she had. And now, it was affecting even her work since most of her clients would back out and feel intimidated after seeing the towering height and huge build of her bodyguards who lurked around her studio like some debt collectors.

She was not even allowed to hang out with her college friends lately. It didn’t help that her mother kept asking her to stay at home, saying that she didn’t need to work at all because they would provide everything for her, which was definitely not what she wanted. Her parents were only after her safety, and she totally got that.

But Mikaela wanted to build a name of her own without her parents’ influence. She had goals of her own that she wanted to accomplish by herself and not just because she was a daughter of a very wealthy couple like what the rumors about her often said. She knew she ought to feel blessed because she had everything most women her age could only dream of, but sometimes, she could not help but feel like her parents, especially her mother, were depriving her of her freedom and youth. There were countless things she was not allowed to do which also became a hindrance to most of her relationships.

Tonight was Mikaela’s first time rebelling, and this was where it got her. It was an epic failure. She could almost hear her mother’s voice saying, “I told you so.”

If they found out about her situation right now, they might even use it as an excuse to keep her at home for the next few weeks. The fear of being caged inside their mansion already made her feel sick inside. If Landon was scary, so were her parents. They both caused her fear in different ways.

Mikaela felt shivers course through her when she could not find a single person on the road after running so much. She could hear Landon’s footsteps getting closer. It did not help that the lights from the electric posts kept flickering. It was like she was inside a horror movie.

Where is everyone? This road was always bustling with people. It was Friday night, and it was only nine in the evening, but Mikaela could not see even a shadow of a person outside. All the roads she had ran to felt so lonely, so desolate. It was crazy.

Without Landon chasing her, she would have thought that she was in another dimension. Even the lights from the establishments were flickering, too. And all their doors were closed. The surroundings were so quiet that all she could hear was the sound of her heart thumping and Landon’s footsteps.

It was summer, but it was surprisingly chilly tonight. Even the weather seemed ominous. It was not like this when Mikaela left her house. It felt like every single thing around her was mocking her and telling her how wrong she was for leaving home. Her knees were beginning to get weak for running when the surroundings suddenly became foggy.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she whispered. She was so exhausted that she wanted to cry. And because she could not see the road clearly, she tripped over something and fell on the ground. She tried to stand only to fall again when her ankle throbbed. Never in her entire life had she felt this helpless that she found herself in tears.

Mikaela shuddered when she heard Landon laugh. Why did it feel like he was just so close to her now?

“I guess this marks the end of our game, babe. You should have just given up a while ago, and none of this would have happened. Why were you running from me anyway? It’s not like I’ll hurt you. You know me. I could never hurt you. I love you too much to hurt you,” Landon said as if he had no trouble seeing her through the fog. Was she the only one affected by it? But how was that possible?

“Why are you doing this to me, Landon? Please stop this already. I don’t like you, and I’m never going to like you. If you continue doing this, I will only end up hating you.”

“It’s okay. They say that the more you love, the more you hate. And tonight, I will show you just how much I love you. So, come here, babe. I will take you to paradise and make you bear my children.”

Oh, God!

Mikaela would rather die than end up in his hands. The second she felt a hand on her shoulder, she screamed. “Somebody, please help me!” She desperately moved her hands to reach out and was relieved when she felt something solid in front of her.

Slowly, the fog disappeared like magic which enabled her to see the man standing before her. Her tears fell as she grabbed his pants as if her life depended on it. Her voice cracked when she whispered, “Please save me.”