Dangers and Consequences

THE wind chime jingles loudly as Kaden furiously opens the Iron Snowdrop Inn with his other hand still tightly fastened to her wrist. Selene silently lets herself get dragged until they reach the front desk of the inn, where a beautiful brunette is standing with her arms crossed against her chest that her bosom is almost spilling over because of the tight dress she's wearing. For a second, the brunette stares at her curiously before looking at Kaden with an overly familiar grin.

"You're finally here. I was afraid that I would lose face to my patron." the woman said accusingly.

Kade grins back, his irritation just earlier instantly dissipated. "I will never do that to you. You know that you are an important friend. Are the rooms available?"

"Of course! You know how much I favor you," the brunette replies while looking over at Kaden from head to toe with a suddenly heated gaze. "You've become more handsome since the last time I saw you," she added while laughing coquettishly.

Selene's eyebrow raises with the sudden lust-filled aura they emanate while looking at each other. Are they flirting in front of a child like her? And what's with the complete change in Kaden's behavior? Selene wanted to puke because of him. At that moment, he indeed looks like a playboy.

"Who is she?" the brunette asks. She spares her a glance and just as instantly dismisses her like she's a fly. She twirls a few loose strands of her wavy brown hair while looking at Kaden. Selene still doesn't know the proper way of greeting in this world, but she decides to answer before Kaden can even reply. She rewarded her with a polite smile.

"I'm Selene Vanya Anyssa Ashnard, his younger sister. Thank you for always taking care of my brother. It puts me at ease that you favor him so much. No wonder you've become fast friends."

The woman suddenly straightened her back and finally looked at her properly upon hearing what she said. Selene's mouth curves up in a faint smile. She laughs demurely while her moss-green eyes are sparkling. She leans on the wooden desk to take a good look at her face.

This woman knows the ropes. "I can see that you're indeed his sister. You're lovely, and you also speak intelligently. You talk like a perfect lady. Anyway, I'm Valeria; please treat me comfortably like you would to a family." Valeria replied, putting quite an emphasis on her last words.

Selene can feel Kaden's heavy gaze from her side, giving her a silent warning. It's time for her to put up an act. Selene shyly nodded with a sheepish smile while repeatedly chanting inside her head that she needed to act like a child because she was currently a child. Selene casts down her gaze and fidgets with her hand before bashfully looking up at her again. Selene could feel her face grow hot, not because of shyness but this embarrassing act. However, she needs to nail the role of an adorable child and deliver her lines correctly.

"Sister Valeria, you're also lovely. It's the first time I saw someone as gorgeous as you."

Selene groans inwardly. Just, please, someone shoot her!

Valeria freezes in astonishment at her sudden attack and becomes bright red because of embarrassment. Why does she look surprised? Does no one tell her how beautiful she is?

"That surprised me; you're the first person who genuinely complimented me like that."

Kaden clears his throat to break the awkwardness. Feeling disconcerted, Valeria frantically takes out a pair of keys just below her desk and gives it to Kaden. "Ummm, here are the keys to your rooms."

Selene looks at Kaden while taking the keys from Valeria's hands. Are they going to sleep separately? Although she's used to being alone, she doesn't like the idea of sleeping alone in an unfamiliar place like this. Selene automatically grabbed Kaden's arms and squeezed them hard while putting a disheartened look on her face. She hopes that she looks as convincingly adorable, just like a child throwing a tantrum.

"Big Brother, are we not going to sleep together? I want to sleep with you. Selene doesn't like to be alone. It's scary." Selene complains and stomps her feet for emphasis.

Kaden's eyes grow wide as saucers, and Valeria chuckles while looking between the two of them. She can feel him stiffen in her arms, and cold sweats break out from his skin. Kaden should wipe off that surprised look on his face when he was the one who told her to act like a child!

"Please, please, big brother! Hmmm..." Selene pleaded. Kaden didn't reply. He just stood there gaping at her like she'd grown two heads. Does she have to pretend like she's crying? Why the hell is he doing nothing? Selene couldn't help herself but playfully thrust her elbow to his side. Kaden grunted in pain and glared at her.

"You should listen to your sister; just stay together. I will take you to your room."

Valeria swiftly took back the other key from Kaden and led them upstairs while Selene remained to cling to him like the needy younger sister that she was supposed to be. Luckily, he is holding it in really well. Once Valeria closes the door and is left alone in the room, Selene immediately breaks away and puts a distance between them.

Kaden looks at her pensively. "What are you thinking? Just spit it out. It's scaring me."

"What are you getting scared about in front of a child? I'm just telling the truth when I said I want to stay together in one room, and I don't want to be left alone."

Selene takes a seat on the hard bed. Her eyes roam inside the room, and disappointingly, there's only one bed, a bedside drawer, a gas lamp on the top of the small table, and two chairs inside the room. "I will just sleep on the floor. You can sleep on the bed." Selene suggested to him.

Kaden gives him a weird look. "What happened to the complaining child back there? You sleep on the bed, and I'm going out for a while."

Selene stands up in surprise. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to meet up with the merchant who will provide us with transport tomorrow. I am hired as a guard for their caravan. Do not go out of the inn, understand?"

Selene puffs a heavy sigh. "I understand. I would never dare to go outside."

Kaden looks at her like he doesn't believe anything she just said. "I'm not going outside without you. I will try to hold it in!" Selene insisted defensively.

Kaden suddenly grabs the nearby chair and takes a seat in front of her. "About what happened earlier, did you do something to that horse?"

Selene burst out a nervous laugh. "What are you talking about?! It's not like I can talk to animals!"

"Who knows? You're not even from this world."

Selene shut her eyes tight in frustration and had to massage her temples because of a sudden headache. "I may not be from here, but in my world, we don't talk to—" Selene halts mid-sentence when a flashback of her time together with Snow resurfaces in her mind. She likes talking to Snow, and somehow, it feels like he can understand her. It doesn't mean that he completely understands every word Selene says to him. Talking to him just became a habit, and because she doesn't live with anyone, she doesn't have anyone to talk to aside from Snow.

"I mean, I may like talking to my pet dog, but it doesn't mean that we're talking to one another!"

"Then how do you explain this?"

"What are you saying now?"

"Look at me."

Selene turns toward Kaden as he instructed, and she suddenly feels anxious because of how he looks at her. Kaden stares at her like she's some kind of a puzzle.

"Then how do you explain this? I'm not even saying my thoughts out loud, yet you look at me just like I instructed?"

Selene's mouth hangs open in disbelief. She just heard Kaden's voice even though he didn't talk. Did she hear his thoughts? What the hell is happening?

"This is why I want you to stay inside and not draw attention to yourself. You are in a dangerous situation more than I do because you are an OTHERWORLDER."

Kaden's words made a loud bang inside her head, and her body automatically stiffened with a sense of foreboding. Her heart also clenches painfully because of mixed feelings from anxiety, fear, guilt, and frustration. Even though Selene is trying her best to be ordinary, her life has no intention of making it so. A different path was already laid out, calling out to her, and she was afraid to take a step. How long does this world plan on messing with her life? Can she stay sane from all of this? All Selene could think of was how badly she wanted to go home at that instant.

"A human blessed by the power of the gods is a rare treasure in this world that everybody would kill to have. For one, you're powerful for an average human, and it also seems like you have telepathic abilities, though you still don't know how to use them properly. Who knows, maybe you were also able to talk to that black mount to do your bidding. Then, what will it be next time? I may not be an expert like the court magicians in the capital, but this I know for a fact. You have potent magic. Even when I look at you like this, magic leaks out of your body that you look blindingly bright but frightening before my eyes."

Kaden stands up and walks toward her. He takes out a thin silver band from his pocket and places it securely on her wrist. "Wear this at all times. It's a magic tool that will restrain your magic and hide your aura. A human with little mana might not be able to recognize your strong magic, but we have to exercise caution."

Selene swallows the humungous lump that suddenly forms in her throat. Kaden took the trouble of preparing something like this. "I'm sorry for causing you trouble."

"If you already know, then that's fine. Come down for dinner after you get some short rest. I already asked Valeria for a favor."

Kaden left the room while Selene remained immobile while staring off into space. She suddenly felt sluggish and physically drained. However, her mind remains in full alert mode. Selene tries her best to take everything in and sort everything inside her head calmly. After doing so, an apparent glaring effect of her circumstances resurfaces in her mind. Selene thought that while living in this world, it would inevitably feel like she was walking on thin ice, where she had to be constantly vigilant in fear of being swallowed by the hidden current beneath it.

Selene suddenly wants to let out the burning sensation inside her chest. She pulled the pillow from her side and pushed it on her face to muffle her screams. Selene screamed for a long time until her voice became hoarse and her mouth dry. She didn't know how long she did it, but Selene temporarily restrained her emotions and headed downstairs to eat dinner. It will also be a good chance for her to try and confirm her newfound abilities.

SELENE arrives in the dining hall, where a couple of guests of the Iron Snowdrop Inn are taking their meals. Some were engaged in lively conversations, and a few were quietly sitting at the room's corners. Selene walks towards the empty table in the middle, where a young girl who looks around her age is busy wiping it. She must have felt her presence because she automatically looked toward her with a plastered smile on her lips.

"Are you Kaden's sister?" the young girl asks enthusiastically.

Selene returned her smile and nodded. "I'm Selene." out of habit, she held out her hand for a handshake, but the girl only looked at it in confusion. Realizing her mistake, Selene immediately drew back her hand and hid it behind her.

"Ahhh, I've never been out of the house because of my weak constitution, so I'm not familiar with the proper etiquettes," Selene explains weakly.

"I know; I've heard it from Valeria. And don't worry about etiquette. Almost everyone here doesn't pay attention to that kind of thing. Just act comfortably. My name is Elizabeth, but you can call me Eli."

Selene forced a smile to eliminate the traces of nervousness on her face. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"You're too formal. It looks like we're just around the same age. How old are you?"

Selene hesitated for a moment before answering. She doesn't know what exact age she should say, but she decided to err on the high side. "I'm fourteen years old. How about you?"

"I'm one year older. I'm fifteen this year. Take a seat. I will get your food."

When Eli left for the kitchen, the wind chime in the front door jingles signaling new guests' arrival. Selene hears the sound of voices getting closer to the dining area, and true to her hunch, a group of men who looks rough and ragged enters the room with Valeria in tow. They also have their massive swords attached to their hips. Valeria instantly spotted Selene and walked towards her table while the others followed her.

"You're already here. Did Eli assist you?"

Selene nods. "Yes, she went back to the kitchen to get some food."

"Oho, who do we have here?" a deep rough voice asks. A man who has a body built like a giant bear with brown hair and brown eyes looks at her, his face filled with curiosity.

Selene ducks down and tries to avoid his gaze. She's not supposed to attract attention. She will get in trouble if Kaden knows about this.

Valeria clears her throat before answering. "She is Selene, Kaden's younger sister."

When they heard Kaden's name, the air in the room suddenly changed, and Selene's skin prickled with tension. Even those seated and busy with their conversations stop talking and look over their direction. Selene straightened her back and braced herself for what was about to come. It's just her luck to meet the people that seem to hate Kaden with passion.

"Heh, is that so? It's the first time I've heard of this. I didn't know he has a sister."

The man pulls the chair in front of her and takes a seat. His other two companions also settled in the chairs beside Elijah that Selene somehow felt surrounded by. Selene clenches her hands hidden below the table and tries to ease her rapid heartbeat.

"I'm your brother's friend. We should eat together. It's uncomfortable to sit alone like this."

Selene didn't believe what the man just said, with how his facial expression changed, and the sudden edge in his tone didn't convince her that they were friends. Valeria's interference and troubled expression further confirm her suspicions.

"Elijah, just leave the child alone."

"I'm not going to do anything." Elijah turns toward her with a fake smile etched on his lips. "That's fine with you, lass?"

She is not going to be intimated. Selene turns towards Valeria. "It's alright. It doesn't bother me."

"I will go get your orders," Valeria stated hesitantly. She gave her one last troubled look before leaving the dining area.

"How is your brother? I've been quite busy these days. That's why it's been a long time since we last saw each other."

Selene didn't reply and tried to look around just about everywhere except in Elijah's direction. He waited for her answer, but when he realized her real intention that she would not start a conversation, he asked her again in a high-pitched voice.

"Are you not going to talk?!"

Thankfully, Eli arrives with a tray of food. She can just concentrate on eating to avoid talking to him. Eli started putting the dishes on the table. When Elijah suddenly pounded the table hard, the bowls flew off and fell to the ground. The place instantly became deadly silent. Everybody in the room stops eating and talking, and she can feel their gazes zeroed in on them while Eli nervously walks behind her in an attempt to hide.

Selene finally looks at Elijah and glares at him. "I only agreed to eat with you, but it doesn't mean I'm obliged to answer your questions. So, stop making a fuss, Mister."

His fake grin suddenly turned vicious, and his face became red with anger and embarrassment. He looks at Selene like he's about to punch her. "You're a cheeky brat."

Selene exhaled a heavy sigh and replied calmly. "What do you want?"

Elijah almost looks like he is about to burst a vein. He gritted his teeth and growled out at her. "Do you know what your brother did to me?"

Selene shrugs. "Why? Did he steal your lover or something? I heard he likes to sleep around."

Elijah laughs sardonically. He turns towards his companions. "Did you hear what she just said?"

"He knows his brother well," the other guy in front of her replied. He winks at her and smiles playfully, and she feels his hands beneath the table, creeping to her legs. Before he can even do what his perverted mind wants, Selene kicks him hard in the crotch. The man yelps in surprise and jumps from his seat, clutching her injured balls.

When Elijah realizes what happened, he roars out a hysterical laugh that his voice reverberates to the four corners of the room. "Kaden is a wicked fellow. In a sense, you're just like your brother. You have no fear."

"Why are you acting like this? Did you confess your love to him and get rejected?"

Selene heard their spectators' snickers, and Elijah's bruised pride became wounded. He angrily leans toward her so that she can feel his hot breath. Selene smells a faint scent of booze wafting from his mouth. "What did you just say?"

Selene stares back at him bravely, not bothered by the threatening look in his eyes. Selene is not surprised that he's acting cowardly and fickle like this. He is just a man with too much muscle in his brain and thinks too highly of himself. She doesn't like temperamental and violent guys like him with passion. In her world, some causes of violence are alcohol abuse partnered with an explosive personality, and Elijah is a perfect embodiment. And Selene participated in campaigns that make sure to put these kinds of people behind bars as a punishment for their crimes. Although it's not like she can do it here, she needs to stay calm and collected because she is in a different world.

"Don't lash out your anger at his younger sister. Wait for him to arrive and throw a tantrum in front of him. Are you a child?"

Selene thinks Elijah just busts a fuse because of her last words. His face contorted in raw malice that she could almost feel it crawling on her skin.

THIS ARROGANT BRAT NEEDS TO BE TAUGHT A LESSON. ONE PUNCH WILL BE ENOUGH TO SHAKE SOME SENSE INTO HER.

Selene jolted in surprise when she heard his voice inside her head. For a moment, she didn't know what to do or what to think, but when she saw Elijah raising his hand toward her, Selene's reflex kicked in. She stands from her seat in a flash, firmly grabs his hand, and twists it. Elijah yelps in pain while the other two stare at them with a dumbfounded look. It must be because of the shock of seeing that just a young girl like her is bullying their leader. And no matter how much Elijah struggled, he couldn't get away from her grasp. Selene added pressure to his wrist that she could almost feel his bones about to snap, and Elijah wiggled in her grip with indescribable pain etched on his face. Selene falters. She doesn't know if he is just overreacting or if he is really in too much pain. Isn't he too fragile for someone who has a body built like him, or maybe she's just powerful? Anyway, Selene just acted on impulse. She has no intention of completely dislocating his wrist. That is why she's focusing all her attention on controlling her strength.

Suddenly, everything had become quiet; she couldn't hear a thing, not the sound of her breathing or the laughter from their spectators. The place darkens, and a vivid memory flashes inside her mind. Selene can see a strange place filled with familiar people. She sees Elijah and his henchmen as well as an unfamiliar-looking Kaden. Although he looks the same, his aura feels different. Kaden looked heartless and cruel before her eyes. They're standing inside a dark and wrecked room with bloodied swords in their hands while a crying woman hugging her child is begging for their lives. However, it's as if Kaden couldn't hear anything as he raised his sword poise for a strike. He mercilessly slashed the woman along with her child. The room became a river of blood, and traces of it tainted Kaden's hardened face. Seeing him as this feels like bathing in someone's blood is second nature to him.

Selene gasps in surprise when she feels a familiar solid hand grabs her hand. After waking up from a trance, Selene came face to face with the present Kaden, who looked at him with evident concern in his eyes. A complete opposite of what she saw in that brief memory from Elijah's mind.

"Kaden Osmon Ashnard," Selene murmurs distractedly. Just who the hell is he? And why did he ends up becoming her guardian? At that moment, Selene thought that despite their contract, she badly wanted to find out everything there was to know about him.