The service was going on as usual when the doors of the church swung open with a loud sound and Damon walked in. His confident step brought with it a whirlwind that left me frozen in bewilderment. His arrogant expression contrasted sharply with the images of the saints, and the smell of perfume hung around him, as if reminding me of where he came from.

I stood next to the priest, lost in prayer, but now all my thoughts were directed to this mysterious stranger. He slowly dipped his fingers into the holy water, then shook off the drops with obvious disdain, and I could not help but be surprised at his audacity when he rolled his eyes and waved his hand as if extolling holiness.

His defiant smirk urged me to action. I knew I should not give in to temptation, but the inner fire of passion was becoming unbearable. At that moment it became obvious: the church could no longer remain my fortress.I felt the world around me begin to disintegrate as Damon approached, like a magnet drawing my attention. His dark eyes glittered in the gloom, and in them I saw a bottomless pit of boldness and danger. With each passing second, I realized that this holy place could not protect me from the temptations he radiated.

“This is no place for you,” I whispered, though I knew it was only words. I wanted to challenge him, to know what was behind his confident smile. Damon stepped closer, and the world around me changed: closed like a black curtain, plunging us both into it.

My soul warred with my mind as he leaned toward my ear. “You do not know what true freedom is,” he said, and in that simple statement there was a difficult, mesmerizing harmony that beckoned me into the unknown.