ALL NOVEL 9. Close acquaintance with ceiling
Donovan and Eren looked at each other as they watched Elizabeth get comfortable on the bed.
"Um. Elizabeth, was it really necessary to lock up? That's not very polite." Said Eren, seeing Donovan's discomfort.
"It is necessary. You can talk comfortably now." Elizabeth insisted.
Donovan pushed his glasses up his nose and observed Elizabeth. He was not sure what to think about it.
"And why is that necessary?" he wanted to know.
Elizabeth propped a hand to her chin and smiled mysteriously. "Because you might want to run away."
"Elizabeth!" Eren shouted at her.
Elizabeth threw up her hands like she was giving up when she saw that she had scared Donovan with those words.
"I was just kidding. It was just a joke. There's no need to be so scared right away, Donovan." She pointed to Eren.
"There's Eren, after all. You have nothing to worry about."
Donovan had to calm his heart. The way Elizabeth said it was intimidating, but she was right. Eren was here.
Eren offered Donovan a chair while he leaned against the table; Elizabeth remained seated on the bed. They were uncomfortable speaking in front of her, but she had no intention of going anywhere.
Donovan decided to ignore Elizabeth because, judging from her behavior, she only wanted to be present but did not want to engage in conversation.
He sat down and stared at Eren. "So. What about the Duke? Did you have a big problem?" He asked.
Eren crossed his arms in front of his chest and let out a long sigh. "You have no idea how. I have not heard him yell that much in years. And I have been grounded."
"Well, if it was nothing worse, I guess it's not that bad. I can say that Gray did worse." Donovan nodded his head.
Eren raised a questioning eyebrow. "I can only guess. The situation did not turn out as expected, and everything turned against us. Especially against Gray. We completely overlooked a lot of factors." He glanced briefly at his sister, who watched them but remained silent.
Donovan nodded. "This was all a stupid idea. I do not even know how we could have agreed on something like this."
Eren hesitated. "Selene insisted."
Donovan frowned, for he did not get that impression. Was not it more like we had planned it, and Selene was just giving her consent?
"Do you have that impression?" He wondered.
"You do not?" wondered Eren.
They both stared at each other in confusion for a moment before Donovan shifted his gaze to Elizabeth, who was bored, fiddling with something on her dress. She caught his gaze and raised an eyebrow questioningly.
Donovan glanced back at Eren and shook his head. He should not immediately blame everything strange on Elizabeth.
"Maybe you just misinterpreted it." He said reasonably.
Eren frowned. "Or rather, you did."
"What do you mean?"
Eren spread his hands. "Then think about this. Selene always comes to Gray first with everything because he's the one who hates injustice and knows he will not let things go. And then we'd reassure each other about everything, but Selene would speak up when we'd start to waver about something, and everything would become clear again. Like the thing when she fell down the stairs." He pointed at Donovan but turned his gaze back to Elizabeth reproachfully.
"What about that? We all know Elizabeth pushed her."
"You didn't." Eren replied immediately, to which Donovan stared at him in amazement.
"I did not what?"
"You were not sure Elizabeth pushed her down the stairs." Eren straightened up and looked at Donovan seriously.
Donovan frowned. "I did not say that."
Eren tried to remind him. "Yes, you did. When you said you were not sure Elizabeth pushed her down the stairs, Selene insisted she did, and you immediately agreed."
Donovan frowned more and more, constantly adjusting his glasses. Eren sounded confident in what he was saying, and Donovan tried to remember, but all he got was a headache.
He shook his head. "Eren, you are confused. Your sister put this in your head, did she not?" He stood up and stared at Elizabeth. "I knew you were up to something. Meanwhile, here you are, brainwashing your brother. And now you want to do the same to me?"
To his surprise, Eren suddenly moved in front of him, blocking his view of Elizabeth, who had been sitting idly on the bed all this time, looking like she was watching a good show.
"Leave Elizabeth out of this. She does not put anything in my head. On the contrary, she helps me!" Eren defended her.
Donovan was shocked and angry. "She's helping you? When has she ever helped anyone? And what is she doing? Is she turning you against us?"
Eren shook his head dismissively. "She does not! What reason do you have to accuse my sister? Do I not have a mind of my own?"
"How could I not blame her? She's only had you under her thumb for a few hours, and already you doubt us, doubt Selene!" Donovan began to raise his voice.
Eren gritted his teeth and faced his friend's anger. "It's not like that. She's helping me figure things out. All she gives me is the time I need to do it. Why are you so against her? What has she ever done to you?"
Donovan shook his head angrily. "It's not about what she did to me; it's about what she did..."
"Selene?" Finished Eren.
"Yes! And why that does not make you angry is beyond me! Just a few hours ago, you were just as upset as the rest of us."
"Because Selene is no longer actively influencing me!"
"Such bullshit!" came the unthinkable word from Donovan's mouth.
A sharp intake of breath made them look for the source.
Elizabeth sat on the bed, holding her hand over her mouth, a cheerful fire in her eyes. "Oh, such rude words. Donovan, you devil. I beg you. Go on. Keep on fighting. Start ripping off your clothes."
Both young men blush with embarrassment.
"Elizabeth... you are not helping." Eren scolded her.
"Are you crazy?" Donovan asked in return.
Elizabeth sighed in disappointment before getting out of bed and smoothing her dress.
"I may be a little crazy, but that's nothing compared to the two of you. Really, your conversation is entertaining, but I do not have all day." She stopped adjusting her dress and looked at them both calmly again.
"Donovan, you are a brilliant man. I have known you for years, but I have never heard a rude word from your mouth. And yet now you are arguing with Eren as if he is telling you that the sky is green and the grass is blue. Are you, not a great speaker who is invited to debate? Do you debate like that? With your friend?"
Donovan closed his eyes and had to take a deep breath to calm his troubled emotions. He thought to himself. As much as he hated to admit it, Elizabeth was right. He did not usually act like this.
"And you should not grin like that, Eren. You do not exactly know how to express yourself clearly, either. You have got poor Donovan confused." Donovan heard Elizabeth telling her brother.
Donovan opened his golden eyes again, removed his glasses, got a handkerchief from his pocket, and wiped the glasses. By now, he had calmed down and put his glasses back on.
"I apologize for my behavior. It will not happen again. At the same time, I think it's best to end this discussion." He said calmly.
Eren looked at Donovan. "Donovan, no...this is important." He wanted to hold his friend back because he felt that if he did not do it now, he would never have another chance.
Donovan raised his hand, palm forward, to hold Eren. "I understand what you are trying to say. And I'll think about it. But we will not reach a consensus right now."
He reached into his pocket again, this time pulling out a suede box. "This is for you."
"What is it?" asked Eren, taking it in his hand.
"Just something to remind you that we are thinking of you." Replied Donovan.
Eliz was really enjoying herself. Watching their conversation was like watching a drama. Too bad she messed up; she might have even gotten some of that torn shirt.
Donovan handed over the gift and headed for the door. Eliz crossed her arms and watched him pick up the handle before realizing it was locked and looking at her with a frown.
"Elizabeth."
Eliz tilted her head to the side. "Yes?" She asked innocently.
"The door, please."
Eliz directed her gaze to the door before returning it to Donovan. "Yes? What about it?"
Donovan groaned. "Elizabeth. I am really not in the mood for jokes. Open it."
Her joy faded, and she looked at Donovan seriously. "But I am not joking."
Donovan stepped away from the door and approached Eliz, who did not move. "Really, Elizabeth. Give me the key or..."
Eliz raised her eyebrows, grabbed her cleavage with one finger, and pulled it away from her body a little. "Or what? Are you going to take it yourself?" She teased.
Donovan averted his gaze, and Eliz smiled triumphantly. "I figured as much."
"We are still....," she began when she heard a strange noise.
Donovan and Eliz turned at the sound and saw Eren holding a suede box in one hand and a piece of jewelry in the other. Eren stood frozen, his left hand trembling. No, his finger, on which was the ring Eliz had given him, was trembling. When she turned her gaze on him, one of the smaller gemstones cracked and shattered into shards.
At that moment, she felt a small blast of mana rush through the air, and Eliz gasped. Not because of that but because of what appeared around the jewel Eren held in his other hand.
"Eren!" She shouted and rushed over to him.
Black tendrils of energy shot out like flames from the tiny object, reaching for it like octopus tentacles and wrapping around the neck and face of Eren, who stood there with a blank stare and a bleeding nose.
Eliz had no idea what it was or what was happening, but she felt a distinct sense of danger that gave her goosebumps and made her stomach clench in fear.
Without hesitation, she ran over to Eren and instinctively reached for the jewel. The black tentacles began to flail wildly, and as soon as she snatched the object from Eren's hand, it flashed before her eyes, and her body shot up into the air like a launched tennis ball and bounced against the ceiling.
It took Eliz's breath away, and she blinked rapidly to dispel the squint in front of her eyes. She felt the resistance in her hand as the object struggled violently as if trying to escape her.
Finally, she could see clearly enough to realize she was still tied to the ceiling. Black tendrils of energy flowed between the fingers of her hand, stretching far and wide and roiling around her. They seemed as if they were alive.
Eliz broke out in a cold sweat of shock but did not dare let go of the thing.
"Fuck! Fuck!" She began to curse, not knowing what to do. "Get away, you monster!" She grabbed her arm with her other hand and tried to hold on. To her horror, the strange force held her to the ceiling and began swinging her back and forth like an invisible puppeteer controlling his puppet.
"Elizabeth!" She heard Donovan's horrified voice but did not take her eyes off her hands.
She did not know that her eyes were slowly beginning to glow with violet light, growing brighter and brighter as the dark energy coursed through her more and more.
Eliz's ears began to whistle until she could hear nothing but the screeching that slowly sounded like a low scream.
The dark power was no longer clouding her and losing its power. If Eliz opened her hands, she could see her skin absorbing the dark energy through her pores.
The tentacles were tightening, shrinking, the power subsided, and Eliz felt the pressure on her body ease.
And her body as fell.
"Damn..."
She fell right into the waiting arms of Donovan, who caught her. He staggered and fell over, but not before he managed to fling Eliz toward the bed where she had fallen painlessly.
Donovan was up in a flash, his hair disheveled and his glasses askew, his face so pale that even his lips had turned blue.
"E-Elizabeth... are you all right?" He asked his voice still in shock.
Eliz sat up a little, swaying a little uneasily.
"I think so." She answered slowly, not realizing she was bleeding from her nose, ears, and eyes.
She slowly opened her palm and finally looked at the horrible object in her hand. It was a small crystal on a silver wrist chain. Inside the crystal was a strand of golden hair.
"What the hell!"