Chapter 19: Chapter 19

We've just entered Gray's house when everyone inside looks at us with surprise. Miss Brenda, Mr. Lauv, and a few others I don't recognize are there. The curious stares from the five people make me uncomfortable. While I'm used to Gray's presence, I haven't interacted much with others, especially in this setting.

"Aurel, are you with Gray?" Miss Brenda asks, clearly intrigued by our unexpected presence together.

"Yeah, Miss. I mean, we accidentally ran into each other at school," I reply, still feeling uneasy under the scrutiny of the five pairs of eyes, three of which belong to unfamiliar students from my school.

"Is that so?" Miss Brenda glances towards Gray, who remains impassive.

"I was actually on my way home, but then I received a call from Rex. He told me not to come home for a while, as something is going on in our neighborhood," I explain, trying to provide a reasonable explanation without revealing too much.

"Ah, yes, Rex. I heard about it. That's a good reason to bring you here. You'll be safe," Miss Brenda says with a slightly awkward smile. There's something about her smile that makes me sense they're hiding something from me – something similar to what Rex did.

"In that case, Aurel, you can rest in the room on the second floor. I'll join them for a chat," Miss Brenda continues. I nod, grateful to be able to escape the awkward situation downstairs. I walk up the staircase, occasionally glancing at the group gathered below. I don't have a chance to eavesdrop on their conversation, so I'm left wondering.

Upon reaching the second floor, I find myself facing several doors. Uncertain which room to choose, I remember that the last time I was here, I stayed in the room at the end of the hallway. With that in mind, I start walking towards that door, extending my hand to open it. But before I can touch the doorknob, another hand stops me.

"Would you like to rest in my room?" Gray's voice surprises me. I don't know when he managed to reach the same floor, as just a few minutes ago he was downstairs with the others. I'm taken aback, and my eyes widen. The proposition of resting in Gray's room catches me off guard.

"Is this your room?" I inquire, blinking at Gray, who gazes back at me silently.

"Yes, of course. This is my room," he replies calmly.

"Sorry, I didn't know. Miss Brenda didn't mention which room to use," I respond, feeling Gray's gaze on me. He remains silent, but something in his demeanor has changed. Since the incident at the school's pool earlier, he's been regarding me differently – his eyes more enigmatic than ever.

"Are you angry?" I blurt out, feeling Gray's hand stretch out towards my face. His touch is warm as his palm cups my cheek, and his thumb moves gently against my skin. I'm momentarily paralyzed by the intensity of his gaze.

"No, I wouldn't have let you use my room if you wanted to. I just wanted you to know that it's mine," he murmurs, and his words wash over me. His presence and the small contact between us leave my mind blank. It's as if he has some kind of hypnotic effect – his eyes pulling me in.

"Thank you, but I'll use another room that's not taken," I manage to say, finally breaking his gaze and causing Gray to step back.

"Then you can use the room next to yours. It's empty," Gray suggests, and I turn to look at the adjacent door. I choose to walk over and open it, deciding to settle there for a while. I can't help but notice that Gray's demeanor is different from when we first met. Gone are the mocking stares and the intimidating air. Instead, there's a certain sincerity in his gaze that I've never seen before.

I quickly closed the door and leaned against it, feeling my heart racing rapidly. Lately, I didn't know what was happening with it. I then walked over to the side of the bed; the room's decor looked similar, but for some reason, the atmosphere felt completely different from when I first woke up in Gray's room. I especially remembered the scent of Gray's room, just like its owner.

I was startled when suddenly lightning thundered from outside. I thought it might rain as I walked towards the window. Gray's house was surrounded by tall trees, making the darkness outside seem quite unsettling. I'm not the type of person who likes darkness, like forests, cramped spaces, or slightly disturbing places. I didn't like it, and right now, I chose to close that window and get back into bed. I placed my backpack and grabbed my phone. I had to message Rex that I was safe here. Miss Brenda was also in the house; I didn't want to make her more worried.

After sending a message to Rex, one message appeared from my mother:

"Are you okay? How's your school?" The short message left me silent. Instead of replying immediately, I just lay down and stared at the dark-toned ceiling of the room. Did Miss Brenda really have such a simple taste? Even in her house, there weren't too many knick-knacks like Aunt Anna had at home. This house looked simpler, but it had a strong aura.

My phone's ringing interrupted my thoughts. I could guess who was calling—it was my mother. She would call immediately if I was late in responding to her message.

"Sweetie, you're ignoring my message again," my mother said from the other side.

"I just got home from school," I replied with a tired voice, then sighed deeply.

"Am I disturbing your rest time? You must be tired from studying all day, right?" she said, and I mumbled in response.

"How's school? Anything enjoyable happening?" she continued. It was a common question for a mother to ask her child, but for some reason, it sounded bland in my ears.

"Well, as usual, nothing special," I answered, but suddenly Gray crossed my mind. What was I supposed to think about him?

"Really? How's Aunt Anna and Rex doing?" Once again, it was just a small talk question from my mother that left me silent. She must have realized that I wasn't in the mood to discuss the same questions she always asked me.

"Mom can just call Aunt Anna and ask her directly. You guys keep in touch often, and you could ask about me if you don't plan on calling me. Or maybe you don't have any topics to talk to me about." My response made my mother go silent on the other end. Did my words sound too harsh?

"I mean, I'm too tired, Mom. I just got back from the swimming club, and I'm sleepy."

"Forgive me, I truly lack understanding. Alright then, I'm sorry for disturbing your rest. Have you eaten? Remember to fill your stomach before sleeping and make sure to properly lock the window," my mother said, and I just mumbled before she hung up. I tossed my phone onto the bed. I wasn't lying when I said I was really tired; even my eyes were getting heavy. I really just wanted to sleep and rest my body.

It felt like I had just closed my eyes, and this strange atmosphere enveloped me again. It was cold, bone-piercing cold, even though this room used to feel warm, even when it was raining outside. The thunder still echoed loudly in my ears, and I could only squint my eyes. I didn't want to open them, but the next moment I could smell the sharp scent of the forest, and the wind felt even stronger against my body.

I ended up slowly opening my eyes again. Once again, this was happening – I didn't know whether it was a dream or something else. I had experienced this strange dream briefly before arriving in this town.

I looked around, where towering trees surrounded me. I sat on the roots of a tree, with dry leaves scattered around. Was it autumn, I wondered as I looked at the trees? The atmosphere looked dark. I was quite sure that there had been heavy rain earlier. So, where was I?

I jerked when I heard a loud noise around me. I quickly turned around, and my eyes widened when I saw the tall, imposing figure. Was I transported to a fantasy dimension, I thought. This was like a fairy tale – I was sure that the creature was an ogre. Its terrifying face and the sharp fangs that seemed ready to tear flesh made me freeze.

I even held my breath for a moment until a flash of light came from another direction, slashing the monster's neck. I didn't know what I was experiencing – was it the real world, a dream, or just my empty imagination? I didn't know what to do; even moving my legs was difficult. I hid behind a large tree that shielded my small body, watching as a few people approached the dead monster.

They looked human but had strange appearances and flashes of light emanating from their hands. They were definitely not ordinary people. Eventually, one of them noticed me. He turned and our eyes met, and in that very moment, he darted towards me with incredible speed. I was sure it was my turn to be dealt with.