(From Demetrius''s Perspective)


    She slept peacefully in my arms. I held her tightly as if I did not want to let her go even for the slightest.


    I had told the guards to catch Ezekiel as soon as possible. They could not catch him, perhaps because he fled. Thinking of him kissing my wife''s neck was disgusting. I wanted nothing more than to kill him.


    I would have done so the moment I found him in our room, but he fled through the window. But he said something before he left that had been bothering me since then.


    "Do you think locking her up is the same as loving her? Have you ever listened to her properly? You even married her forcefully. Do you think you can gain her true love like this? You''re no other than a monster."


    Well, even though I was worried that he might have told the same to my wife and that was the reason, she was afraid of me. But it did not matter.


    I was a monster after all.


    I was supposed toe back after a month. But I finished the work quicker than usual and thus, was able toe back five days before. I did not have any business today. Mainly, I tried not to keep any business for today since I did not want toe back to her being covered in blood.


    I truly went overboard tonight. But I could not control myself. How could someone control themselves when they saw their wife wearing something like that in front of another man who was also kissing her skin?


    I had made enough marks on her skin so the mark he made would not be seen at all. But perhaps he was right. Perhaps I was locking her up. But I did not care. I just needed her by any means. I could never let her go, not when I got her into my grasp.


    "Mm... D-Dem..."


    "Yes?"


    She was still sleeping. Perhaps she was having a nightmare or something. She always shivered like that in her sleep whenever she had a nightmare or she was feeling cold. Since she was covered by the thick nket, it could not be because she was cold. I rubbed my palm on the side of her neck and kissed her on the forehead.


    "It''s alright. I''m here. You can sleep," I said.


    "I''m scared..."


    "Scared? Of who?"


    "I... I don''t know... I had a weird dream."


    "Weird dream? Tell me about it," I said.


    She had sleep talked a few times before. But it was the first time I was hearing her talking this much. Perhaps it would be good for me since she would not be able to hesitate saying anything since she was sleeping.


    "Well, that night when we were supposed to go to the festival..., I had this... dream. It was about... Dem."


    I gulped and took a deep breath hearing this. She stopped for a while as if she was looking for a word to phrase what she wanted to say.


    "It was a dark room. And... And he was saying weird things."


    "Who? Me, I mean, Dem?"


    "Y-Yes," she mumbled.


    "What weird things?"


    "He was saying things... like he did not want to let me go... and he would even lock me up even if he has to. I remember what he said line by line."


    "Can... can you tell me about it then? I will listen to you," I said.


    "He said - You know, the world is beautiful. But only when you are there with me. And when you are not there, there is no meaning. I will care for this world if it allows for us to be together. But if it opposes somehow, you know, I can destroy it. I don''t care who lives or who dies.


    I just want you."


    "What? I... I mean, he said that?" Well, it was true and it was not something extreme. So, it did not matter much. I had told her this before too. But to think she was saying the types of things I would say without missing a word...


    "Nothing matters if I want you. For you, I can do anything. I can kill anyone. I don''t care who I have to kill, if only you''re with me. To have you, I will do anything," she said. It was strange to hear it in her voice.


    "Since the moment I met you, I knew I found you, my one and only. Perhaps you were not meant for me. But still, I had decided back then that I would make you mine. I didn''t care about your choice, because you did not have one. How could you when I had already decided that you would be mine and mine only?"


    Now I had started sweating. I said this in her dream? No matter what I had in my mind, I could not just say that to her. Yes, it was true that I did not give her much of a choice, but it was impossible that I would say it to her. What surprised me the most was that it was exactly what I had in mind.


    "I love you so much that I am unable to act like a normal person. I want to touch you all the time, keep you with me. I just want to have all of you. Normal was never something I was. But now, I think I am more abnormal than ever. But you will ept me, won''t you?" she said.


    "You don''t even know how much I like all your expressions... I like it when you smile, when youugh freely, when you are surprised. I sometimes even like it when you''re scared. It''s so adorable. But I don''t like it when you cry. I don''t like it at all.


    But I can put up with it since it''s you."


    "Hey, Blue..."


    "Do you think I am crazy? Perhaps I am. But you know what? Who gives a fuck about it? So what if I am crazy? I don''t care.


    I am crazy for you and I love it," she kept saying. "I love you. I love you so much that I can do anything for you. I will give you anything. So, please stay with me. Don''t leave me, ever."


    ''No way... No wonder she was afraid of me... I can''t believe this! How could this happen? I never nned on saying these things to her, yet... How could she have such a dream when I have told her nothing like this in real life.''


    "Stay with me and don''t leave me. Forever, I want to have you forever...," she mumbled. Her voice was dark and it was like a slight mumbling. It was clear that she was sleeping. I was d. I did not know how to face her anymore.


    "Are you scared? My darling wife, are you scared of me? But you said it''s okay. It''s okay for me to be with you. So, take me again. Come closer and hold me.


    "I always think about you. Do you think about me too? How much? How much do you think about me? Tell me, darling... You know, when I think about my future, you are always there.


    You are smiling... It''s just you and me, just like it''s supposed to be. So, won''t you be a good girl and make the future possible?"


    "That time, I told him to stop saying such things, but he did not stop," she added. "I was scared. The way he smiled that time was scary... I don''t want to see that smile again... It''s too scary..."


    "I''m sorry..."


    "Then he said- You belong to me. So don''t even try to run away. It''s pointless, darling. You''re supposed to be mine, my wife. I don''t want to hurt you. So, be a good girl and stay with me," she said.


    "I told him toe to his senses, but he said- Ugh, I hate this. What sense? I don''t understand the senses of people in this world. This world was never meant for me. But you understand me, don''t you? I know you do, my wife.


    Please be mine, darling. You can only be mine."


    She was sleep talking, but she was right about everything. Yes, I thought about these things. It was not a wrong thing to think, but surely, she would not take it as easily as me. I thought about these things, so it were easy to me. Yes, I was obsessed with her. But I did not want her to know so, so quickly.