’Isadora!’ The word resonated in Alexander’s mind as if it was an empty room, generating echo. That couldn’t be, could it?

"Do you happen to know her?" The woman asked, noticing the sudden change of Alexander’s expression.

"Yes," Alexander replied, his eyes still wide in disbelief like one who had seen an apparition. "How is this possible?" He asked that to himself more than anyone else. Isadora, soulmate, prophecy! Lord! Alexander was confused. He smoothed his already disheveled hair with his hands, holding his head as if he was in some kind of pain.

"Are you alright?" She asked seeing the confusion written all over his face.

"What about her? What about the prophecy? How is this all connected to me?" Alexander asked, holding the woman’s shoulders tightly that she groaned in pain.

"You are hurting me Alexander," she complained. But would a curious Alexander buy that?

"Tell me everything!" He demanded, even tightening his grip on her shoulders. He stared at her coldly before he added,"I’m hurting you, right! But the pain you are feeling is nowhere close to that I’m going through!" The woman tried to free herself but to no avail. She gave up in the end.

"I told you I can’t tell you anything or else you’ll.. "

"Die?" Alexander asked. "Tell me. Am I going to die if I learn the truth from you?"

"Y..yes. And not only you, but me and Isadora as well." The revelation shocked Alexander making him instantly release her shoulders. Isadora would die? He couldn’t let that happen. He was so much engrossed in his thoughts that he didn’t notice the woman holding her head in pain. She screamed catching his attention, his head instantly whipping towards her. She was holding her head and with just one look, Alexander could tell she was not fine. Veins popped on her forehead, her usually smooth skin now losing color gradually.

"What happened?" He asked, catching her by the waist before she could hit the ground. "Are you alright?" He asked, scanning her body from head to toe, but she looked alright. What was wrong with her then?

His gaze rested on her face, staring at those silvery eyes of her that made him feel things he didn’t understand. She placed her hand on his cheek, the warmth in it melting Alexander’s heart. But why did he feel this every time he was around her? Who was she?

"This is the cost of telling you the truth," she said, her pained eyes gazing into his. Alexander gritted his teeth. So he was the cause of this? The thought of it made him clench his fists so damn hard that his knuckles hurt.

"I’m sorry." He apologized, something he was not ford of.

"Don’t be dear," she said. "You don’t know how happy I am to just see you, place my hand on you, and above all, talk with you." Alexander could see the genuinety in her eyes as she spoke those words. It was like she had longed to touch him for eternity.

"Can I hug you?" She asked surprising Alexander even further. Lord! Her actions were confusing him. He didn’t want to overwhelm her with more questions as he had seen what had happened to her just by answering one. Who knew what would happen if she answered more?

"Okay." He saw her eyes sparkle in joy after giving her his consent. Her hand, which had been placed on his cheek all this time, wrapped his shoulders as she drew in his embrace. Alexander stiffened contemplating on whether to hug her back or not. Why... why was his heart beating like a wild stallion. It was just a hug for heaven’s sake. But how would feel like melting in her embrace? And even without his knowledge, Alexander found himself wrapping his big hands around her small back. This feeling! He felt like he would stay like this forever.

A drop of a liquid was what made Alexander come back to his senses... and another, on his left shoulder. Wait... Was she crying? What was with women and crying? He still couldn’t understand this. He pulled from the embrace steadying her in front.

"Are you okay?" He asked but she was looking down as tears streamed down her face. Alexander lifted her face and wiped the tears with his thumb. And despite questioning his sanity, he didn’t know why he chose to do that. What had this woman done to him?

"What is your name?" He asked, surprising her even more. Her sobs died down as she stared at win disbelief.

"Lylla. Lylla is my name," she answered still staring at Alex as if he wasn’t the one who had asked.

"Lylla," Alexander repeated, imprinting the name in his heart, mind and soul. "What a lovely name," he commented.

"I’m glad you find it that way," she smiled at him, the most genuine smile he had ever laid his eyes upon.

"And where do you live.. Lylla?" He questioned further. But the question seemed to have caught her off guard.

"Um... I don’t know how to put this...Um actually I’m not human’" she said earning a frown from Alexander. What did she mean she was not human? He had touched her, even hugged her at that! Then how comes she was not human?

"I know it’s hard to believe but... I wish I could tell you why and how I look like one but ..."

"It’s okay. I won’t pressure you anymore." She simply nodded at that. "If Isadora has the answers to my questions as you have said, then I’ll look for her. I know how to find her."

"That’s good but I have to leave Alex." Once again, Alexander was left speechless. The way his name sounded in her tongue made him feel strange.

"Will you come some other time?" He asked. Strange! He thought. He didn’t even know her fully yet...

"Yes. I surely will. In fact, I will be looking forward to it. But I have to leave for now."

"Ok.....say." Alexander added the rest of the words noticing she had already gone, vanished into thin air! How she could do that, he didn’t know. Maybe he could ask her the next time they’d meet. He let out a sigh before everything around him began to fade, turning back to the normal room he was used to.