Content warning: this story includes non-consensual sex, pleasure-enhancing drugs and a cult-like religious sect. Read at your own risk.
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My car slowed to a stop outside the ominous black wrought-iron gates, a sense of foreboding making my stomach churn. I glanced around, taking in the isolated mansion in the distance and swivelling my head to see if there was anyone in the vicinity. Nope, nobody, I thought, the idea of being isolated with my ex not a comforting notion.
I pressed the window button down and leaned my head out to touch the speaker button beside the gate. My mouth had gone dry.
"Hello? Adrian, it's me... Are you there?" I asked uncertainly. The answering beep and whoosh of the gates automatically opening told me I had been heard. But by who, I had no idea. I rolled the window back up.
"It's fine, it's fine, it's totally fine," I murmured, manoeuvring my car towards the imposing mansion.
It was so out of character for Adrian to live in a place like this. This kind of extravagantly ostentatious style wasn't him. He was nice, easy-going, perhaps even too nice. He wanted to please everyone and was gullible to the extreme. It just hadn't worked out.
Until he called, I hadn't heard from him or seen him in over 6 months. Shortly after our breakup, his social media pages disappeared. He just fell off the grid. Then out of the blue, he rang, his same old cheery voice warming my heart. I hoped we could be friends, maybe even occasionally friends with benefits. And I was really curious where he had gone to.
I drove around a huge fountain and parked my car near the steps leading to the front door. Butterflies exploded in my stomach and I smoothed down my skirt in an attempt to calm myself. Relax, it's just Adrian, you know him, I thought. Taking a deep breath before I lost my nerve, I threw the car door open and marched up the stairs, knocking loudly on the dark wooden door.
It was opened seconds later by a smiling Adrian, his entire face lighting up when he saw me. His eyes travelled up and down my body with a look of awe. His smile widened.
"Hey, you," I said awkwardly, some of my brashness disappearing. He reached out to hug me, and held me a little too long. He smelled woodsy and warm, and I revelled in feeling his muscles wrapped around me.
"You look stunning," he breathed, finally letting me go and giving me a once-over again. I blushed. It's been awhile since I've had that kind of attention, I mused.
"Come, let me show you around," he said excitedly. He seemed like a little puppy, as if he couldn't believe I was there.
"Adrian, this is quite the place!" I exclaimed, taking in the sweeping staircases and marble floors. He showed me around the ornately decorated rooms before moving to a living room complete with a roaring fireplace and seating.
"Whisky?" he asked, remembering my favourite liquor. I nodded and smiled.
"So, what brings you to a place like this? I must say, it's pretty fancy," I asked, taking a seat while he arranged the drinks.
"Well, when we..." he paused before handing me the whisky-filled tumbler, "broke up, I did a little soul-searching." He sat down beside me, close enough to feel the warmth of his muscular thighs. "I found this amazing group who have really opened my world." His eyes lit up as he spoke. "It's called the Brotherhood of Light. We are on a mission... a mission to bring forth the Lighted One."
I took a big gulp of my whisky to cover my reaction. "Ok, that sounds...interesting..." I responded, trying to be polite. Interestingly CRAZY, I screamed inside. I couldn't look at the doorway behind me without alerting him that I was ready to bolt.
"Yeah, I see that look, and I totally get it," Adrian laughed, running his fingers through his brown hair. "But it's not like that. We are charged with bringing the one true source of hope and light and love into the world. There's a prophecy -" he cut himself off. "There is so much, so much for you to know, to understand..." he trailed off, his brown eyes eagerly taking in mine. He was silent for a moment, so I gulped down the rest of my whisky. The sooner I'm finished the sooner I can leave, I reasoned. When I placed my empty tumbler on the coffee table, his grin widened and his eyes sparkled. He moved closer to me on the lounge and clasped my hands.
"You're the key to it all. I almost couldn't believe it when I first heard the prophecy. But it's absolutely you, and the Elders agree." A cold feeling made its way down my spine. He stared earnestly into my eyes. "You will be the one to birth the Lighted One."