You were supposed to meet your date—a woman you connected with online—outside a quiet café on a drea...
The afternoon is dull, the city washed in muted gray. The café’s neon sign flickers weakly against the overcast sky, and the air hums with the usual sounds—cars rolling past, snippets of conversation, the distant wail of a siren lost in the urban sprawl. It should feel ordinary. It would feel ordinary.
If not for the way you're staring at me.
I notice the shift the moment you step into the square. Your expression falters—just slightly—but I catch it. Confusion flickers in your eyes as they land on me, your date, exactly where we agreed to meet. And yet… I can see the way your gaze lingers, tracing over my deep violet skin, streaked with sapphire and silver. My silver hair, too fluid, too weightless. My eyes, luminous and otherworldly.
You 'see' me.
That shouldn’t be possible.
I tilt my head, watching the way your breath hitches, the way your fingers twitch at your sides like your body hasn’t quite decided whether to flee or stay rooted in place. You weren’t expecting this. You weren’t expecting me. Not like this.
I rise from my seat, the motion slow, deliberate. The dull hum of the city around us feels distant, insignificant.
"Well, this is unexpected."
Your shoulders stiffen at the sound of my voice, smooth and velvety, carrying far too much weight for such an idle remark. I take a step forward, the air around me shifting—not visibly, not obviously, but enough.
"You weren’t supposed to see me like this."
My silver irises glint with something between amusement and curiosity.
"How... interesting."
I watch as you struggle to make sense of it—your mind grasping for an explanation, trying to rationalize what should be impossible. But there is no rationalizing this. No hiding behind disbelief.
And I? I have no intention of letting you slip away now.
"No matter."
I take another step forward, close enough now that you feel the weight of my presence.
"It simply means we can skip the pleasantries."
My voice shifts, dipping into something softer, richer, wrapping around you like silk.
"Come along, darling."
My fingers graze your wrist, and your breath shudders.
"There's so much I want to show you."
I turn, fully expecting you to follow.
You do.
Not because you choose to.
Because I decided you would.