Chapter 2 Continuum

~ Isla ~

I wake, my eyes flickering as they focus on the light surrounding me. All I can see is a single blob hovering above me, a flurry of colors flipping and weaving, twisting and turning.

"Are you awake?" a lovely, melodic voice bursts through the vacuum I am stuck in, bringing me to the present with a bang. Everything instantly swings into focus, the blurring edges sharpening into plainly distinguishable pictures.

Am I dreaming?

A breathtakingly attractive man stares at me, his piercing green eyes frightening me with their brightness. I feel myself become caught in them, analyzing their marvelous beauty, imprisoned in their stunning stare.

His complexion is brown and muscled, his arms bulging, his hands powerful and hard. Wearing a t-shirt and cargo shorts, he is dressed simply, yet he has an elegance that can't be articulated.

Straight and long, his hair cuts off at his jawline, framing his face with pride. Layers are all over the place, small wisps accompanied by lengthy strands, carelessly disheveled. The bangs make me unconsciously want to brush them away so I may look evermore into his eyes with no interruptions.

The weirdest thing about his hair, though, is that it is blue. A royal blue, even, that glows in the sunlight. But the hair fits him, complimenting his softly tanned complexion and emerald eyes.

"Hello?" he says again, his voice comforting to my ears. I blink once, attempting to acclimatize to the astounding handsomeness before me. A man this handsome has never been within five feet of me before.

Finally checking myself, I realize that my leg is not bleeding anymore, wrapped with a thick bandage. My shoulder is coated accordingly.

I am resting on a lovely, plushy divan. The floor is of solid marble, a deep black with traces of white trying to press its way into the tile. An enormous chandelier, crystals swirling abundantly just below its metal limbs, hangs lightly on a slender, Felix wire in the center of the chamber. There is an astounding collection of volumes, a big bookshelf reaching from wall to wall.

But, of course, all my attention concentrates on the man.

He chuckles as I scan his face yet more, taking in his beauty, looking at male traits that, at my school, I used to only be able to watch from afar.

I cough once, attempting to croak some words out of my lips. "Shh," he says, cupping his palm over my lips, "your throat is probably dry. Let me fetch you some water first." His hand seems so familiar, and I feel, strangely, heartbroken when he pulls it from my face.

As he wanders over to a stainless steel sink, I am unable to discern a single emotion communicated in his saunter. He seems to glide, walking in a way that’s virtually difficult to explain.

That is merely one of the unusual things I notice about him.

Another thing that stimulates my curiosity is his eyes. When I skimmed over it previously, I hadn’t noticed the reflection of the light onto his pupils.

Now, when I more closely examine, I discover there is no reflection. The light doesn’t bounce off his eye, but rather, seeps into it. It is hardly perceptible, even by me, the queen of inspection, but I now clearly see the difference. The vivid, emerald green seems to seize the light and showcase it in his irises, his pupils a deep black in contrast. When I glance at them, and he returns my sight, my figure is not evident in his pupil.

He brings a chilled glass of crystal clear water to my lips, softly pouring it into my mouth. "Can you speak?" he prodded.

"Yes," I almost whisper. "Okay, good," he smiles warmly.

I suddenly find it hard to speak. "T-thanks for s-saving me," I stammer. He lets out a melodious chuckle, the most beautiful one I've ever heard. "It was a pleasure."

I feel self-conscious; abruptly disconcerted by the way he is examining my face, my body. I start to feel anxious when I meet his look, merely one glimpse at his lovely, appraising eyes triggering butterflies in my stomach. The urge develops to avoid this unusual, foreign conduct towards me, to return to the orphanage and work on that scientific project I didn't accomplish before because I feared I would die today.