Chapter Three – Lost?

"Here, let me help you," the girl said, stretching out her hand. "My name is Elara, and that’s Javen."

Taliya hesitated for a second before taking her hand, allowing Elara to pull her up. The moment she stood, Elara gasped, her eyes widening as she took in Taliya’s appearance.

"Wow…"

Taliya shifted uncomfortably under the weight of their gazes. She still wore the clothes from earlier—a damp cropped top clinging to her skin and bum shorts that barely covered her legs. Her long black hair, dripping wet from the water, cascaded down her back in waves. Strands stuck to her face, accentuating the delicate angles of her jawline. And her silver-grey eyes, innocent yet piercing, stared back at them in confusion.

The moonlight filtering through the trees bathed her in an almost ethereal glow.

Elara blinked rapidly, stunned. "W-where are you from?" she asked, voice hushed as if she were in the presence of something otherworldly.

Because someone like Taliya—someone this striking, this unfamiliar—didn’t belong in their town.

Taliya’s throat dried. That was the question she dreaded.

Where was she? How could she even answer when she had no idea if she was still anywhere near the beach, near her country… or even her world?

"I… I don’t know." she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

Elara’s brows pulled together in confusion. "You don’t know?"

"But it’s fine,¹" Taliya rushed out. "I’ll find my way." She attempted to take a step back, willing herself to move—only for pain to lance up her leg.

She whined softly, wincing as her ankle gave out beneath her.

Elara gasped, stepping forward instinctively. "Oh my God, you’re hurt!"

Before she could react, Javen was already there, moving faster than she expected. One second he had been standing back, watching in silence, and the next—he was close. Too close.

"You need treatment." he said, voice firm yet strangely unreadable.

Taliya looked up at him, brows furrowing. Wasn’t he just being a jerk to her a second ago?

Now, he was acting… different.

Her eyes scanned his face, and that’s when she noticed it—the way his expression faltered just slightly, the almost imperceptible flush dusting his sharp cheekbones.

Huh?

She wasn’t sure what she had expected from him, but it certainly wasn’t that.

Still, she shook her head quickly, forcing out a nervous chuckle. "Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. It’s just a minor injury." she lied, trying to brush it off.

Truth was, she had no idea who these people were. And God knows if they were like the thing she had seen before…

"It looks swollen." Elara pointed out, concern lacing her voice. "Come, we can help you."

Taliya hesitated, her weight shifting slightly on her good leg.

A part of her screamed to be cautious—she didn’t know these people, didn’t know where she was. But another part, the part still shaken from the chase, from the thing she saw, knew she had no other choice.

If she wanted to get out of here, she had to start figuring out where she was in the first place.

Had she traveled to a different time? A different world?

And most importantly, she needed to stay far, far away from whatever that beast was—and the man who killed it so effortlessly.

Her mind buzzed with frustration, questions piling one on top of the other.

Where the hell am I?

She swallowed thickly before managing a small, warm smile. "Thank you." she murmured.

Elara smiled back, relieved. "Javen, can you help—?"

Before she could even finish her sentence, Javen moved.

Without a single word, he scooped Taliya up into his arms.

She gasped, her hands instinctively clutching at his shoulders as he carried her with unsettling ease.

"H-Hey!" she stammered, blinking up at him.

But Javen didn’t acknowledge her protest. He simply turned and started walking.

Elara let out a small laugh before hurrying after them. "Well, that works too."

Taliya huffed, but as she settled against Javen, she became acutely aware of just how tense he was.

His grip on her was firm, almost too firm, his muscles coiled beneath his tunic as if restraining something.

And then she heard it.

His heartbeat.

Loud.

Fast.

Faster than any normal human’s should be.

Her brows furrowed slightly. Is he okay? Does a human heart even beat this fast?

Slowly, she tilted her head up to look at him, but the moment their eyes met, Javen’s gaze darkened.

Taliya quickly looked away, her cheeks heating for some inexplicable reason.

For a fraction of a second, something flickered across Javen’s face—something almost amused. The corner of his lips twitched, so subtly it was nearly unnoticeable.

Then, just as quickly as it appeared, it was gone.

He strode forward, his grip unwavering as they moved toward their town.

♥︎♥︎♥︎

An hour had passed since they left the waterfall.

The once tranquil space, bathed in the silver glow of the moon, now trembled under a suffocating presence.

A heavy boot pressed against the soft grass, and immediately, the ground seemed to wither beneath him, tainted by the dark energy radiating from his very being.

He stood still, towering and menacing, his cloak shifting slightly as a cold breeze moved through the trees. The air around him crackled, heavy with something primal.

His red eyes swept across the clearing, tracing every inch, searching.

Then, he inhaled.

Beneath the scarf concealing the lower half of his face, his breath hitched.

Her scent.

Delicate. Lingering.

It clung to the space around him, teasing him, drawing him in like a siren’s call.

His glowing eyes fluttered shut as he took another slow breath, deeper this time, memorizing the essence that was now his obsession.

But then—

His eyes snapped open.

Something was wrong.

A new scent.

Faint but unmistakable.

Someone else had been near her.

His expression darkened, his pupils dilating in raw fury. His fists clenched at his sides, muscles coiling with restraint as something feral and possessive clawed at his insides.

A low growl rumbled from deep within his chest, vibrating through the air like a silent warning.

"Mine."

The single word was spoken like a vow, his voice deep and guttural, laced with an unshakable finality.

"She is mine."

He took a step forward, ready to hunt—ready to claim what was his—when suddenly, a figure materialized before him.

"Master."

The young man stood with his head bowed, respect evident in the way he held himself. But there was tension in his posture—hesitation.

The red-eyed man stilled, his gaze dark and seething.

"Move," he commanded, his voice dangerously calm. "I can smell her." His fingers twitched as his restraint wavered. "Mine."

The young man swallowed but stood his ground. "Master, you need to calm down," he urged carefully. "You know we can't go into the town. Not after what happened last time."

A deadly silence followed.

Then—

CRACK.

The earth beneath them trembled as a surge of energy erupted from him, tendrils of unseen power twisting through the air. The very ground fractured beneath his feet, splitting in protest under the force of his rage.

His breathing was heavy now, erratic, his entire being thrumming with the singular thought consuming his mind.

"I want her."

It wasn’t a plea.

It was a promise.