The room was cloaked in shadows, save for the flickering, blood-red glow of dying candles. Their light danced across the cold stone walls, giving life to the carved symbols of forbidden rituals. The air felt alive, heavy with a suffocating tension that pressed against Sofia’s chest. Her back was against the pillar now, the chill of the stone doing nothing to steady her trembling body.

Varxa stood before her, close enough to steal her breath but not close enough to touch. His dark figure radiated menace, his presence a storm that threatened to consume her .A continuous smirk or demonic smile was dancing on his lips

“Tell me,” his voice rolled out, smooth and lethal, like the blade of a dagger dragging across silk. His lips barely moved, but the words carried the weight of a command. “Where should I take you for our first date my lady?”he whispered hoarsely his breath fanning over her earlobe sending a wave of goosebumps down her rib

Her lips parted, but no sound came. Her throat tightened as his eyes bore into her—black pools of endless depth, devouring every trace of her will.

“Hmm?” he pressed, his tone dipping lower, more intimate, more perilous. “The Satanic Temple… "he reduced the distant between them with his predatory steps his aura becoming darker than a minute ago and he hovered over her with his hands on the wall besides her for support and he leaned in further , towering over her petal lips and murmered...."or the brothel?”

As he spoke, he moved closer, the space between them evaporating like mist under a scorching sun. Each step he took was measured, deliberate, a predator savoring the terror of its prey. Sofia felt the warmth of his breath now, grazing her cheek like a caress, though it sent a chill racing down her spine.

“I-I…” she stammered, her voice faltering under the weight of his presence.

He leaned in, his lips brushing just past her ear, his words a venomous whisper. “You’re trembling,” he said, mockery laced with something darker. “Is it fear? Or something else?”

Her knees wavered as he inched closer still, his hand lifting—slowly, deliberately—to rest against the pillar beside her head. She was trapped now, the cage invisible but undeniable. His scent—smoke, iron, and something forbidden—wrapped around her, making her head spin.

“Answer me, Sofia,” he demanded, his voice dangerously soft. The velvet in his tone barely masked the razor-sharp edge beneath. “Or shall I choose for you?”

Her heart thundered in her chest as her body betrayed her, leaning infinitesimally toward him despite the peril. She felt the heat of his skin, the raw, unyielding power he exuded. A part of her wanted to flee, but her legs refused to move.

“I… I don’t know,” she whispered, her voice breaking.

He chuckled, low and dark, the sound vibrating through the small space between them. His free hand brushed a lock of hair from her face, his fingertips grazing her cheek—light, yet electric.

“You don’t know?” he murmured, his voice like a dark hymn. His lips hovered a breath away from hers, his eyes locking onto hers with predatory intensity. “You will know, Sofia. I’ll make sure of it.”

Her pulse raced as his words hung in the air like a curse. The room seemed to shrink around them, the shadows pressing closer, their proximity a dangerous dance. Varxa leaned in further, his lips now grazing hers, not quite a kiss, but a silent threat.

“Careful what you choose,” he whispered, his tone dark and teasing. “In places like satanic temple, innocence is easily… consumed and If it'll be brothel ahh dammnn my favorite choice then I hope you won't expect me to pull out a chair for you my lady cause ladies there belong to men's lap”he smirked patting his thighs and chuckling all over

Her breath hitched, her body trembling under the weight of his words. And yet, even as fear coursed through her veins, a dangerous curiosity burned beneath the surface—a flame he seemed all too eager to ignite.