The Destructive Adventures of the Lovers-Chapter 51: Newcomer of the Holy Land

Ella wandered through the village, her steps muffled by the thick snow that clung to the cobblestones like whispered secrets. The air was sharp, tinged with the scent of burning pine and cold iron. She drew her hood closer, the fur brushing against her cheeks as she glanced around, her eyes catching on the flicker of oil lamps in the windows, their warm light casting trembling shadows across the frost-glazed glass.

"Hey," a voice cut through the crunch of her steps, low and casual, tinged with a hint of curiosity. She turned, her breath catching as she met the boy's gaze. He leaned against the cracked stone wall of the blacksmith's shop, his arms crossed, dark hair falling in disarray over one eye. The faint glow of the forge behind him painted his outline in flickering, molten gold.

"Are you new around here?" he asked, pushing himself off the wall, his footsteps muffled as he crossed the distance between them.

She hesitated, her pulse quickening. She had seen his face before, in glimpses, in fragments of her fractured memory. She nodded slowly, her voice almost a whisper. "Yes."

He tilted his head, his lips curving into a faint, knowing smile. "Where are you from?"

She hesitated again, her mind racing through half-remembered landscapes, shadows of forgotten lives. "Another world," she finally said, her voice trembling, the words hanging between them like a fragile, frozen breath.

His eyes narrowed, a flicker of intrigue cutting through the aloofness in his gaze. "Another world?" he repeated, stepping closer, the snow crunching beneath his boots. "You don't look like one of those travelers from the southern forests... or one of the mountain folk."

She shook her head, feeling the cold seep deeper into her bones, the wind brushing against her cheeks like the touch of forgotten ghosts. "I'm not," she whispered, her breath misting between them. She couldn't help but stare at his eyes, the way they caught the light, a shade too dark to be just brown, a glint too sharp to be just human.

They found a bench by the frozen fountain in the village square, its edges rimed with frost, the statue of a long-forgotten hero half-buried in snow. She sat beside him, her fingers twisting nervously in her lap.

"What's your name?" he asked, his breath steaming in the cold, his eyes never leaving her face.

"Ella," she said, her voice a mere whisper, the syllables catching in her throat like jagged glass.

He paused, his gaze flicking over her, as if the name struck a distant, forgotten chord. "Matt," he replied, his tone softening, though the intensity in his eyes never wavered. "So, Ella from another world... what brings you here?"

She opened her mouth to answer, but the jingle of a small bell cut through the air, the door of the nearby apothecary swinging open. Ella looked up, her breath catching as another figure stepped into the cold, her silhouette framed in the doorway, shadowed and sharp against the flickering light behind her.

Margo felt her chest tighten as she recognized the familiar curve of the girl's jaw, the tilt of her head. She froze, her pulse hammering in her ears.

"Hey, who's this?" Margo's voice cut through the icy air, a mixture of suspicion and curiosity. She took a few steps closer, her boots crunching over the snow, her eyes narrowed as they flicked between the two.

Ella hesitated, her fingers tightening on the edge of the bench. Matt glanced at her, a small, amused smile playing at the corner of his lips.

"She's... new," he said, his tone light, almost teasing. He looked back at Ella, his eyes glinting in the dim light. "From another world."

Margo's brow furrowed, her breath misting as she let out a short, disbelieving laugh. "Another world?" She looked Ella up and down, suspicion darkening her gaze. "Right. And I'm the queen of the Earth."

Ella felt the cold deepen around her, the shadows stretching longer as Margo's stare pinned her to the bench. She forced herself to meet Margo's gaze, her heart pounding, the air too thin, too sharp.

"It's true," she whispered, her voice trembling, a thread of desperation weaving through her words. "I don't belong here."

Ella told Matt her name as they continued walking through the village. The sun hung low in the sky, casting a warm, golden glow over the cobbled streets and bustling market stalls. Matt led her through the winding alleys and narrow lanes, pointing out the shops and houses, the towering spires of the Holy Land's grand cathedral casting long shadows over the square.

"So, Ella," Matt said, his voice low and teasing, his eyes sparkling as he glanced back at her. "Where exactly is this... other world you came from?"

Ella hesitated, her heart racing, her mind spinning as she forced a small, trembling smile. "It's... far away," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the chatter of the marketplace. "Very far."

Matt chuckled, his eyes dark and curious, his lips curling into a crooked smile. "Mysterious," he said, his voice low and smooth, his eyes never leaving her face. "I like that."

They continued walking, their footsteps echoing off the stone walls, the warm, golden light bathing their faces in a soft, dreamlike glow. Ella felt her cheeks flush, her heart racing, her breath coming in shallow, ragged gasps as she stole a glance at Matt's sharp, handsome profile.

Matt must have felt her gaze, for he turned suddenly, his dark eyes locking with hers. For a moment, the world seemed to stand still, the bustling marketplace falling away, the warm, golden light enveloping them in a soft, silent cocoon. Ella felt her heart skip a beat, her breath catching in her throat, her blood freezing in her veins as their eyes met, the air between them thick and heavy, electric with unspoken tension.

But then, as quickly as it had come, the moment passed, and Ella looked away, her cheeks flushing, her heart pounding, her mind reeling. She felt Matt's gaze linger on her for a moment longer before he, too, looked away, his lips twisting into a small, knowing smile.

They reached a small, stone bench near the edge of the village, where the land sloped gently down toward the rolling, green fields beyond. Matt sat down, stretching his long legs out in front of him, his dark eyes still sparkling as he glanced up at Ella. She hesitated, her heart racing, her breath coming in shallow, ragged gasps, before slowly sinking down beside him, her hands clasped tightly in her lap.

They sat in silence for a long moment, the warm, golden light washing over them, the distant sound of birdsong drifting on the breeze, the air cool and crisp against their flushed skin. Ella felt her heart pound in her chest, her mind spinning, her blood freezing in her veins as she stared out at the horizon, the setting sun painting the sky in vibrant shades of red and gold, the clouds glowing like embers in the fading light.

"It's beautiful," she whispered, her voice low and trembling, her eyes wide and shining as she gazed at the breathtaking scene before her. "I've... never seen anything like it."

Matt glanced at her, his dark eyes softening, his lips curling into a small, gentle smile. "Yeah," he whispered, his voice low and smooth, his eyes never leaving her face. "It really is."