Irina jerked awake with a sharp inhale.
"Easy. Hey—easy," Adrian whispered, leaning closer as his gloved hand hovered near her shoulder, not touching her yet.
She blinked rapidly. The first face she saw was Adrian's.
Not white hair.
Not icy eyes.
Adrian. Her boyfriend.
He looked different in the darkness —darker, sharper. His black hair fell in soft, deliberate strands across his forehead, slightly tousled yet controlled; damp from melting flakes, framing a pale, angular face carved with quiet intensity. His jaw was clean and defined, lips naturally firm, rarely smiling without reason. His face was sharply sculpted with—high cheekbones, a clean jawline, straight nose, and naturally defined lips. And his dark eyes— piercing yet unreadable—held a depth that felt dangerous to linger in. He was undeniably handsome, not in a loud way, but in the quiet, arresting way that made people look twice.
He wore a heavy insulated parka with a fur-lined hood, zipped up to his chin. A dark wool scarf was wrapped securely around his neck, and thick gloves covered his hands.
"Sweetheart, are you okay now?" Adrian asked softly, brushing snow from her cheek with his thumb. "You fainted."
Irina stared at him as if trying to solve a puzzle. "You're… you're here," Irina murmured, her fingers gripping his coat as if confirming he was real.
"Yes. I'm here," Adrian replied, steady and calm, holding her gaze.
Her voice came out hoarse. "I thought I'd see him," Irina whispered, her eyes darting past him for a split second.
Adrian's brows pulled together. "See who?" Adrian asked, his jaw tightening slightly.
She pushed herself up too quickly. He caught her by the shoulders.
"Slow down," Adrian said firmly, steadying her. "You're still shaking."
"I'm not cold," Irina whispered suddenly, staring at her own hands.
"I know," Adrian replied quietly, watching her too closely.
That made her look at him sharply. "What do you mean you know?" Irina demanded, suspicion flickering in her eyes.
He ignored that for the moment. "What did you mean—you thought you'd see him?" Adrian asked, his tone controlled.
Irina swallowed. "There was someone on the road," Irina said slowly, pressing her fingers to her temples. "Before I fainted."
"A man?" Adrian asked, his eyes sharpening.
"Yes," Irina nodded.
"Did he hurt you?" Adrian asked, leaning slightly closer.
"No. I mean—I don't know," Irina said, fear creeping in. "He just appeared. Behind me. He said Merry Christmas."
Adrian didn't interrupt. He just watched her.
"He knew I was meeting you," Irina continued, her breathing uneven. "He talked like he'd been waiting. Like… like I belonged to him."
Adrian's jaw tightened almost invisibly. "Did he touch you?" Adrian asked, voice lower now.
"Yes," Irina replied.
"Where?" Adrian asked immediately.
"My hand," Irina said, lifting it slightly.
Adrian took her hand gently, turning it under the streetlight coming from the window as if searching for frostbite. "Does it hurt?" Adrian asked quietly.
"No," Irina whispered. "That's the strange part. It felt freezing. But it didn't hurt."
She searched his face. "You believe me, right?" Irina asked, almost pleading.
"I'm listening," Adrian replied calmly, though his thumb was still tracing the back of her hand.
"That's not the same thing," Irina said, narrowing her eyes.
"It is," Adrian said quietly, finally meeting her stare. "Tell me everything."
She took a shaky breath. "He had icy pale skin," Irina said slowly. "Shiny white hair. Long. Very long. And his eyes—Adrian, they didn't look human."
"Keep going," Adrian replied calmly, though his Adam's apple moved when she mentioned the eyes.
"He said every winter night I'd be his," Irina whispered looking down with a little flustered face, her voice barely audible.
Adrian gulped. His throat shifted slightly. He was trying to keep the burning jealousy hidden under his calm demeanor.
"And then I couldn't breathe," Irina continued, gripping his sleeve. "Like the cold was inside me."
"You lost consciousness," Adrian said evenly, though his hand tightened around hers.
"Yes," Irina nodded quickly. "But before I fell, he caught me."
Adrian went still, "Caught you?" Adrian asked, his voice quieter now.
"I felt his arms," Irina said, staring somewhere past him—outside the window—into the darkness.
Adrian's posture stiffened for a fraction of a second before he forced himself to relax from the anger .
"When I found you, you were alone," Adrian said carefully.
She stared at him.
Silence stretched.
"Where am I?" Irina asked slowly, looking around.
"Inside the wooden cafe in the old square," Adrian replied, gesturing slightly behind him.
"The old square, that's not where I was," Irina insisted, frowning.
"You were on the road past it," Adrian said calmly.
"No," Irina shook her head. "I was closer to the church."
He didn't argue. "Maybe you walked further than you realized," Adrian suggested, brushing snow off her sleeve.
"In that state?" Irina whispered. "Adrian… how did you find me?"
He hesitated, just for a second.
"I came looking for you," Adrian replied.
"I know that," Irina said impatiently. "But how did you know where to look?"
Adrian paused, eyes flicking toward the distant church tower through the window.
"I knew. Because I love you," Adrian said quietly, holding her gaze.
"Ahh, Adrian," Irina sighed weakly, shaking her head. "It's not a good time for flirting."
"I am serious," Adrian said, his expression not changing. "Why would you think I am flirting?"
Irina blinked, thrown off balance. "Really?" Irina asked, studying him.
"I followed the sound of the bells," Adrian replied, glancing briefly through the window toward the direction of the church.
Her eyes flicked with urgency. "They sounded wrong," Irina said quickly.
"I know," Adrian answered.
"You heard that too?" Irina asked, leaning forward slightly.
"Yes," Adrian nodded once.
She frowned. "But the bells don't ring automatically."
"I'm aware," Adrian replied evenly.
She studied him carefully now. "You said I fainted. How long was I out?" Irina asked.
"A few minutes," Adrian answered.
"That's not possible," Irina said immediately.
"Why not?" Adrian asked calmly.
"Because it felt longer," Irina insisted.
He gave a faint half-smile. "That's what fainting feels like, silly " Adrian said lightly.
She shook her head. "No. This was different."
"You were lying in the middle of the road, my love," Adrian said softly, brushing more snow from her coat.
Her breath hitched. "In the middle?" Irina repeated.
"Yes," Adrian whispered.
"I don't remember falling there," Irina said quietly.
"That's where you were," Adrian replied.
"Was there anyone else?" Irina asked quickly.
"No," Adrian said at once.
"No footprints? No signs?" Irina pressed.
Adrian's gaze shifted briefly past her shoulder, through the window, then back. "There were marks in the snow," Adrian admitted.
"What kind of marks?" Irina asked sharply.
"Disturbances," Adrian said.
"That's vague," Irina replied.
"Irina," Adrian said, his tone warning.
"Adrian," Irina shot back.
A beat passed.
"I saw another set of prints," Adrian admitted quietly.
Her fingers tightened around his coat. "So I'm not insane," Irina whispered.
"I didn't say that," Adrian replied carefully.
"Adrian," Irina pressed.
"They stopped," Adrian said.
"Stopped?" Irina asked.
"Yes," Adrian said calmly.
"As in turned back?" Irina asked.
"No," Adrian replied, his voice too calm. "They ended."
Her stomach dropped. "That's not possible," Irina whispered.
"I know," Adrian agreed softly.
"Where did they end?" Irina asked.
"Right beside you," Adrian said.
"And then?" Irina asked, barely breathing.
"And then they weren't there anymore," Adrian replied.
"What do you mean they weren't there?" Irina asked, eyes widening.
"I mean when I looked again, the snow had covered them," Adrian said.
"In seconds?" Irina demanded.
"Yes," Adrian answered.
"That's not natural," Irina whispered.
"No," Adrian agreed softly. "It's not."
They both fell silent.
"He said—Come with me,Stay with me… and never, ever think of leaving."
Irina whispered suddenly.
Adrian looked at her sharply. "What exactly did he say?" Adrian asked.
"Those words. Exactly," Irina replied.
He held her gaze a moment too long.
"What's the time?" Irina asked suddenly, looking up.
Adrian glanced at the clock. "It's later than it should be," Adrian said quietly.
"How did you find me so fast?" Irina asked.
"I was nearby," Adrian replied.
"You were at the café," Irina reminded him.
"Yes," Adrian nodded.
"That's at least twenty minutes away," Irina said.
"I walked quickly," Adrian answered.
"In this snow?" Irina pressed.
"Yes," Adrian said.
"And you just happened to walk in the right direction?" Irina asked.
He didn't answer immediately.
"Adrian," Irina said firmly.
"I felt something was wrong," Adrian said at last.
"That's not an explanation," Irina replied.
"It's the truth," Adrian said.
"Did you see him?" Irina asked.
"No," Adrian replied instantly.
"Are you sure?" Irina pressed.
"Yes," Adrian said, holding her eyes.
"Because when I woke up…" Irina whispered, her voice trembling. "For a second I thought I was with him."
Adrian's expression softened as he brushed a strand of hair away from her face. "Don't worry, my dear, you are just worried" Adrian murmured.
"I…" Irina faltered.
"You're scared," Adrian said quietly.
"Yes," Irina admitted.
"Of him?" Adrian asked.
"…I don't know," Irina whispered.
"Of what then?" Adrian asked.
She swallowed. "Why does it feel like he wants to take me away?" Irina asked, her grip tightening.
"Don't worry, dear," Adrian said gently. "You are hallucinating things because of fear."
"It felt like," Irina whispered, staring into the falling snow, "like he'd known me forever."
A long pause.
To be continued...