The Essence Of The Darkness
Episode 57: Attention (Intermezzo Part )

“Cold?” ask Akram with great attention. Suddenly she realized that Elana was still sick. The woman had only received the first stage of her toxic antidote serum and had not yet fully recovered from the threatening hypothermia. Quickly he took a thick blanket that rolled at his feet and shrouded it into the bodies of both of them until it was tightly closed and warm.

Elana puts herself back in Akram's body. The skin meets the skin, feels warm and pleasant, even when compared to the thickest blanket.

Akram himself was bowing his head and watching Elana with his sharp eyes. Lately, Akram noticed that Elana was sometimes unconscious and approached Akram willingly. Especially when the woman is in a state of fatigue, sleepy, or half-sleep as it is today.

Does that mean Elana no longer wants to fight him and is willing to submit under his power?

Akram must have gotten a report from Elios about the digital screen door trick, as well as Elana's statement that Xavier came to talk to him. Akram was filled with a deep curiosity about what Xavier was talking about to Elana. He intended to talk about it all as soon as he came face to face with the woman.

But, as she waited down there, she saw Elana get out of the car, looked at her face and then felt Elana's warm body temperature, a sign that the woman in her carrier was starting to improve, Akram's heart was immediately filled with the urge to bring their bodies closer to the point that as close as he could, trying to convince himself that this woman was fine, he said, that this woman has not escaped her grasp.

No matter how long they had been making love, Akram was too busy satisfying her desire to embrace Elana until the flow of time that did not know the word back was forgotten by her. Maybe now it has reached dawn by morning, considering the moonlight that shrinks its light up there seems to start fading, preparing to retreat to be replaced by the sun.

Akram began to close his eyes and his finger moved gently stroking the back of Elana's head to bring the woman further into the dreamland.

Peace surrounded his heart along with his satisfied body. Right now, all Akram wants is to embrace Elana in a soothing silence, as if they are wrapped up in a peaceful environment separate from all the problems out there.

But then, the voice echoed in the silence, making Akram instantly open his eyes again.

It was the rumbling sound of Elana's starving stomach.

Akram quickly lowered his head towards Elana. When she saw Elana sinking her face in her chest and her eyes closed tightly, she grabbed the woman's chin and held it up towards her.

The woman seemed to be almost sound and fell into a deep sleep in a moment.

“Wake up, Elana,” Akram rubbed Elana's cheeks gently. “Build. Don't you realize your stomach is ringing? Are you starving?”

Elana blinked her heavy eyes. Akram's voice faintly pierced through his consciousness. But he also tried to open his eyes. He stared at the face of Akram who was shaded in the middle of darkness and frowned in confusion.

“What?” Elana spoke in a weak voice. He was sleepy and very tired. The closeness of Akram's body that surrounds provides comfort that is pleasant so Elana feels more drowned in drowsiness.

She's almost sound, why did Akram wake her up now? What was?

“...lapar....,” Akram's voice was still faint before Elana finally regained her consciousness and was able to hear more clearly what Akram was saying.

“Are you hungry?”

I asked him if he was hungry?

Elana frowned and immediately examined the condition of her own body. She was almost asleep, but when she regained consciousness, Elana realized she was starving. His stomach feels sore to charge to fill.

Maybe it was all because he was sick and Akram had exhausted his strength. It seemed, his exhausted body was charging for energy intake and asking to be filled with food.

But for Elana, the hunger was still milder than her eye-wrenching drowsiness and Elana thought she could still endure the hunger until morning until breakfast.

With her eyes closed again, Elana brought her body closer to Akram back, curled up in a pampered search for warmth.

"I am hungry, but I am sleepier,” replied Elana in a weak voice, preparing to go back to sleep.

“No,” in a firm voice Akram grabbed both of Elana's shoulders and kept the woman away from her body. Akram then got up from the bed. The man picked up his clothes scattered on the room carpet, then put on his clothes while staring at Elana who was still curled up behind the blanket with a sharp gaze. “You really want to get your gastritis again? Wait here, I'll feed you.”

After saying that determined sentence, Akram stepped away leaving the room and closed the door behind him.

For a moment Elana was still lying lazily on the bed, trying to relax her tired and stiff body while trying to fall back asleep. But a long time later, Akram's last sentence before leaving was ringing back in Elana's mind, making the fog that had surrounded Elana's mind immediately removed instantly.

Akram will feed him? Does that mean the man will cook again and make the porridge that tastes amazingly strange for him?

Filled with such horrible thoughts, Elana immediately put away the blanket, grabbed her clothes and put them on quickly before then stepping hurriedly out of the room.

When Elana stepped down the stairs, she was immediately stunned when she saw that Akram was arranging something on a tray in the kitchen pantry.

Is Akram cooking? But why does the kitchen still look neat and there is no smell of burning from the kitchen?

Dragging her weak legs, Elana stepped closer, then looked over the broad shoulder of Akram curiously.

“What are you doing?” ask Elana slowly.

Akram turned his head, frowning when he realized Elana was nearby.

“What are you doing here? I'm just gonna take this food upstairs. Are you strong enough to walk everywhere?” instead of answering Elana's question, Akram grumbled angrily at Elana.

However, Elana's attention was no longer fixed on Akram's words, distracted by something that seemed extraordinary in his view. Elana's eyes widened to see what Akram was preparing on the tray and her mouth agape with fascination.

Inside the round-shaped tray, a variety of colorful sushi that makes anyone who sees it will definitely drool. The food looked very delicious even just by being looked at and not being tasted. Elana had never eaten sushi before because the price was too high to be accommodated by her thin wallet. So, his charm was many times more than usual.

Akram watched Elana's face and frowned. They are angry but also feel like smiling. This food-loving woman had completely forgotten her existence in this place and focused only on food. Even today, Elana looks almost drooling looking at the food.

“I ordered it at a Japanese restaurant that is open twenty-four hours. Not the best restaurant, but at least the ingredients passed the high-quality organic certification,” Akram frowned when he saw Elana seemed unconcerned by the explanation of how good the quality of sushi he ordered was.

This woman really does not have awareness about healthy food or the best food ingredients that certainly can provide the best for the body. Akram did not know how Elana's stomach could hold so long as it was filled continuously with second-rate food that was not of quality. Even more disturbing, Elana does not seem to care about all that means just not caring about her own health.

With a slightly irritated attitude, Akram lifted the large circular tray with one hand, deliberately placing it high so that it was far from the sight of Elana.

“Come, eat there. You brought that glass of water, you,” she said in a irritating tone before stepping towards the large sofa located in the living room and letting Elana follow it without protest while carrying a glass filled with water in her hands.

Akram sat on the sofa and placed his tray of sushi on the table. While Elana followed later, put a glass in her hand, then chose to sit on the carpet near Akram's feet so that she was closer to the table where the sushi was located.

“I can eat it?” Elana turned her head towards Akram who was sitting quietly watching. Elana's eyes sparkled like a child getting her first gift on her birthday.

Akram nods his thin head even though he doesn't like it when Elana's attention is turned to something she's not. The possessiveness in her soul bubbled up, prompting her to want to force Elana to turn to her and forget about the damn food. But, for some reason Akram's heart was touched by Elana's childish attitude so that his lips finally even broke the restrained smile.

“Eat,” he replied calmly.

“Alright then. Happy making,” Elana exclaimed in a loud voice, clenching her hands together in front of her chest excitedly. He then took the available chopsticks, his hand trying to use the chopsticks awkwardly to take the sushi, but always detached from his hand.

Elana very rarely uses chopsticks to eat. Even when eating at a seller of five-foot noodles that provide chopsticks from bamboo, Elana prefers to use spoons and forks. In addition, he also never had the opportunity to enter a Japanese restaurant or other restaurant whose food was taken using chopsticks. That's why his ability to use chopsticks can be said to be a big zero.

Impatiently wanting to take her sushi, Elana ends up haphazardly sticking her chopsticks into the sushi, making its shape messy. Despite that, he finally managed to bring the sushi into his mouth, instantly devouring and chewing it.

What goes into his mouth is sushi with a fresh salmon alloy that melts in the mouth in a savory blend that pleases the tongue. Elana chews excitedly, very happy with the pleasure of a new taste that turns out to be liked by her senses.

After spending the first one, as if impatient to taste another taste again, Elana took back the next sushi, this time sushi with a blend of avocado and shrimp are sweet and soft. When the same sense of pleasure makes her senses feast, Elana once again chews the food in her mouth with eyes sparkling with pleasure.

Akram smiled wryly at the way Elana took her sushin. He leaned slightly forward to align himself with Elana sitting on the carpet, then took the chopsticks from Elana's hand with his.

“The Japanese will think you are insulting them if you stick chopsticks into food,” Akram says slowly while taking the sushi using chopsticks in a very elegant way. “Not only because sticking chopsticks is similar to sticking death incense for them, but also because you have ruined this beautiful form of sushi. Open your mouth.”

Akram rules while bringing the sushi in his chopsticks to Elana's mouth, so inevitably Elana complies and opens her empty mouth. He did not even have a chance to refute the sentence Akram intended to denounce his gratuitous attitude.

And that's how it's next. Elana just sat there quietly, satisfying her appetite, while Akram fed her. Every now and then Akram asks Elana who wants to eat which type of sushi, and the man patiently picks it up with chopsticks and feeds it into Elana's mouth.

After Elana's stomach was completely full, she refused a bribe from Akram with a headband. It was glimpsed by the hand of Akram who put the chopsticks containing sushi that Elana refused to return to the tray. His eyes then turned to the almost empty tray and his cheeks blushed in embarrassment.

Geez! Elana had been eating like a hungry person and had not eaten for some time. Even Akram has not eaten a single piece!

“You.... You don't eat?” ask Elana shyly.

Akram moves to take a glass of water on the table and give it to Elana.“I'm not hungry,” he replied with a cold tone and an unreadable expression.

Elana took a sip of water while condemning Akram's unpredictable attitude in her heart. However, as much as Elana's irritation to Akram, Elana is not a selfless person. Akram had once again given him a delicious meal to fill his hungry stomach. The man had done him good and Elana knew that Akram deserved a thank you.

“Te... thank you,” whispered Elana slowly later, the surface of her face was decorated by a red hue that daubed her cheekbones.

Akram nodded his head slightly with a flat face. The man then slapped his thigh half-demandingly.

“Get here,” he said firmly, while his expression turned serious.

Elana looked at Akram in surprise, not expecting Akram to close their meal with a request for Elana to go up to her lap. This man seemed to have a strange pleasure and was very fond of asking Elana up to his lap.

Benak Elana immediately looked for reasons to refuse.

“Eh, we can talk while like this only, no need to climb into the lap, after all I will feel heavy after eating, so.”.

Akram chose not to listen to Elana's rebuttal, pulled the woman's body, half lifted to directly sit on her lap.

Weight? This woman's body, even though it has been a little contained since Akram took care of it, still feels so light, though, even though his appetite is very large like a manual worker who spends all day draining his energy to do various types of exhausting physical work.

He sat Elana on his lap, while his eyes stared intently into Elana's eyes, as if to read to the depths of the woman's soul.

“You're full now. You're not cold anymore either. I guess, the antidote serum that Xavier gave you really had a healing effect,” Akram grasped Elana's fingers and swiped them slowly to check her temperature, after which, after that, he cupped Elana's fingers with his big hand. “Now, it's time I asked you. What was Xavier talking about when he met you in secret?