I am here

"What in the world is going on?" Haru whispered in daze upon stepping out of the teleportation circle and witnessing the scene up ahead.

She was on top of an open tower and in front was a gigantic castle surrounded by equally gigantic maiden stone statues carrying a pitcher in their hands with an overflowing water. It would have been a sight to behold if only the overflowing water did not solidify and the stone statues were not covered in glaze. High cold wind woosh harshly against the walls and to the few withered trees around while the entire sky was covered in dark winter clouds. Houses were buried in snow and a huge pirate ship was in the middle of the city while its bottom part was stuck in thick ice. Onto her right, a should have been a group of waterfalls became draperies of ice.

"Is this... what hell looks like?" She muttered to herself but the devil behind her heard it loud and clear.

"This is Atlantis. And all those ice that you can see used to be cerulean waters. All body of waters in the three realms have solidified and this world has been in an endless winter storm for years," Adis revealed as he looked at the realm that once revered as the most beautiful city in the world with complicated expression in his eyes.

Another series of cold gust blew and the layer of ice on the edge of the tower thickened. She cringed inside her black cloak as she rubbed her cold stiff hands together and blew warm breath on it. As though she had been bitten by frostbite, she stiffened when she realized something. She quickly spun around to Adis when she remembered that he was no longer wearing a cloak to defend his enormous body from the cold.

"Oh, no, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to take your cloak away." In panic, she shamelessly cupped his face with her warm hands to feel his skin while standing on her tippy toes. "Damn, your skin is freezing!"

It was Adis' turned to be stupefied. Due to their huge height difference, he had to lean down so she could reach his face even on tiptoes. He had to bit his tongue to prevent a growl from coming out of his mouth when he caught a whiff of her unique scent; so sweet and intoxicating, and it made him instantly addicted.

"I'm fine," his voice came out hoarse and his throat felt parched. He clenched his fists at his side to grasp his control and to not make a move that would scare her away. "My skin has always been cold. However, your hands are so warm and soft... and fragrant." He unconsciously tilted his head to the side to feel more of her skin. "Ah, so this is what warmth feels like. I never knew it would feel so good to the touch until you came."

Haru immediately pulled her hands back as though she was scalded by something and turned around. Her ears were turning red again. "We better find shelter so you can answer all my questions."

"Mn," added nodded in agreement, but a longing look in his eyes was evident at the sudden loss of her warmth.

"Is there someone living in this tower?" Haru asked when they reached the inside of the tower and as she sat at the only chair available.

"In every teleportation tower, there is a gatekeeper." Adis started as he walked towards a modest fireplace. "However, due to the inclement weather, every king of the realm decreed that everyone must stay inside their houses to be safe. Many monsters and evil beings roamed the land to take advantage of the negative situation and find their victims." After he provided his reply, he casually lit up the hearth with his dark spell. When he turned around to look at Haru, she was gawking at the fire as if it would eat her alive.

"Realm? Teleportation? Monsters? More importantly, what kind of sorcery did you just do? Am I still on earth?" She bombarded him with questions, and she still had more in her sleeves.

Adis creased his forehead. "Earth? I never heard of such a country before? Is it located in the Light realm?"

Haru quickly stood up in panic and held her hands in the air. "Woah! Wait, hold your horses, sir. We are obviously not seeing eye to eye here. Can you please tell me where the hell am I and why can you use magic before I lose my damn mind?!" She finally snapped due to stress, confusion, and exasperation.

Adis was astonished for a brief moment. For the first time in his life, someone yelled at him and talked to him in a rude way. But the most surprising part was, he couldn't find himself getting mad at her, no matter how hard he tried. If anything, he liked her temper and the way she spoke her mind out. He walked closer to her and held her hands. He didn't let go even though she tried to pull it from him.

"Calm down," he coaxed her in his soothing voice. "Let's figure things out together, okay? Come, you sit here first so I can tell you my story and you can tell me yours, hm?" He guided her to sit back as he gently knelt in front of her without letting go of her hands. He was really loving the feel of her soft little hands inside his huge calloused hands.

"Have you heard of the world, Trium Regum?" When Haru scowled and shook her head, it told him everything he needed to know.

She was not from this world. So that explained why it took her a while to appear. A being from a different world could only enter Trium Regum during the *Walpurgis Night. And it only occurred once every one hundred years.

Adis gripped her hands tightly to reassure her emotion. He spoke patiently as though he was talking to a child. "That's fine. Adis is here. I will tell you everything you need to know about this world."

Haru closed her eyes when overwhelming emotions were starting to cloud her mind. When she found her voice again, it suddenly croaked. "I remember my body hitting a brick wall... then an excruciating pain came after. I couldn't move my body and I couldn't scream for help. When I closed my eyes I thought my life has ended. But when I regained my consciousness, I'm already laying on that bed of flowers and you were in front of me." When she ended her recollection, tears had already stained her beautiful face. "Once again, I became all alone. But this time, it's in a totally different world."

When Adis saw her tears, he felt like someone was slowly crushing his heart, restraining his ability to breath. He gently wiped her tears away as he whispered softly. "Hush now, my fair maiden. You are not alone. Although we just met, I already feel so close to you. I am here and I promise that I will never leave you," he declared sincerely. It was an oath that he impulsively made, but when he laid his eyes on her for the first time, he knew that it was also a vow that would never change for the rest of his immortal life.

He spent the whole night telling her about Trium Regum, the three Kings, the human and non-human existence, as well as magic and otherworldly things. He was also very patient in answering her questions and calming her emotions when it suddenly intensified. He was kneeling in front of her and looking up at her face, not minding the numbness in his muscles and joints. All the while, their hands were intertwined, and unconsciously, none would like to let go.

That night marked the fated encounter of a demon and a fair maiden. The moon was at its largest and brightest, silently witnessing the start of a love affair that would stand the test of time.