My Beloved Has Risen from Death’s Embrace

Try? To test his ability? But how?

“Ahl”

Xanthea’s imagination ran wild with alarming scenarios. She started flailing about in his arms, exclaiming, “Orion, I misspoke, I misspoke! You’re the best, absolutely the best!”

“Can you put me down, please? I’m scared.”

“No, let’s not ‘try“!”

“What? Why are you closing the door? You beast!”

Despite her struggles and pleas, Orion showed no mercy. He shut the door firmly, tossed her onto the plush bed, and began to undo his tie.

Xanthea watched as Orion started stripping, his presence felt overwhelmingly dominant, like a predator ready to pounce at any moment. She was so frightened that she propped herself up on the bed, her legs shuffling backward as she begged, “No, please no, Orion, I haven’t.”

As the man’s tall and imposing figure suddenly loomed over her, Xanthea turned her head away in despair and shut her eyes. Then, she felt her hands being tied?

Opening her eyes, she saw her hands bound to the bedpost with his tie, cushioned with a silk handkerchief as if to prevent the ropes from cutting into her skin.

“What are you doing?”

Xanthea looked up at him, her eyes filled with indescribable emotions.

“Ready? Let’s start the rehearsal.”

Rehearsal?

His words left Xanthea utterly confused.

Wait, the “try” and “know if he’s good” and binding her hands all part of helping her practice acting, not what she had imagined.

Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, and she felt herself utterly foolish.

“What else did you expect?”

“I–I didn’t expect anything but a rehearsal.”

A mischievous smile played at the corner of Orion’s mouth as he walked over to the door and turned off the lights, plunging the room into darkness.

Then, a soft sound of the door closing.

Xanthea spent a second, then two, then three, unable to move in her bound state, consumed by fear of the unknown darkness..

“Orion, why turn off the lights for a rehearsal? Are you trying to set the scene that realistically?”

“Where did you go? Come back quickly, I’m scared of the dark!”

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With a “click,” the lights were back on.

Squinting against the bright light, Xanthea saw Orion standing by the door, now dressed in a sharp black suit, looking more daunting and distant than before, his features hard and cold, resembling that of Maximus

“Phee, it’s been five years. I hope you’ve been well.”

He approached her slowly, suddenly grabbed her chin, forcing her to look into his eyes–dark pools swirling with longing and joy, “Do you know how much I’ve missed you these past five years? Every year, every day, every minute.”

Xanthea was stunned by his almost frantic expression, and she was instantly drawn into the role.

He truly resembled Maximus–just a few words perfectly conveyed his dark solitude and deep longing Phoenix.

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His gaze made her feel as though he wasn’t just reciting lines but expressing his own feelings, prompting her to respond with Phoenix’s lines, “Now that I’m at your mercy, life or death, do as you will.”

“Death?”

Suddenly, the man burst into laughter, a sound filled with wicked delight that sent shivers down Xanthea’s spine.

No wonder he got so mad when she doubted he wasn’t good.

His acting was so lifelike; he truly embodied Maximus. He was so capable that Xanthea could hardly distinguish between reality and the play.

“I couldn’t bear to kill you, my precious, my heart. I want to keep you by my side forever.”

The man suddenly approached her, the increased pressure in his hands and the intense possessiveness in his eyes causing Xanthea to an involuntarily moan.

Hearing her own delicate, tender voi