The First Disciple

SELENE feels like she's floating, and her body feels light as a feather. However, the sudden realization of feeling motionlessness in mid-air made her body stiffen in response. She felt a sudden blast of cold wind slapping her face, and her eyes snap wide open. Selene stares wide-eyed as she finds herself flying thousands of meters above the air. Her hand automatically shifted into a tight fist, and she felt a soft and ticklish thing inside her hand.

"Ouch! Stop! Be gentle with my wings!" a familiar masculine voice scolded.

"Wi- wings?" Selene whispers, confused out of her mind. She gawks at the thing on her palm. It was dark feathers that she plucked out of his back because of her tight grip. She was taken away by God knows what! When realization slaps her hard, Selene screams at the top of her lungs. Her heart suddenly bursts out in a fast staccato, and she instantly runs out of breath. Selene looks down below, and she almost pukes her guts out because of what she sees. She's already freaking out inside her head that it feels like it's about to explode.

Selene violently flails in his arms, and she accidentally dug her fingers into his skin that she heard him whimper. However, his captor manages to tighten his hold on her waist. Selene becomes more aware of the heat coming from his body, and she can feel her body heat crawling up from her neck to her face. When Selene felt his hard body against her, her mind became befuddled with worry. Despite knowing that it was a futile effort, she tried to get away from him as much as possible.

"Calm down! Stop fighting me, or else we'll fall!" her captor yells at her. Selene thinks that she just burst a vein in her head upon hearing what he said.

"How the hell am I going to calm down? Are you shitt*ng me?" Selene screams in his face.

His blue-green eyes remain cold and hard, but she can almost see a hint of barely contained anger directed towards her. When Selene suddenly remembered Kaden, her uneven breathing transformed into painful wheezes. He must be looking for her right now! Her chest painfully tightens, and darkness bubbles start dancing in front of her vision.

"We're almost there. Just bear with it," he demanded heatedly. Selene feels him tighten his hold even more, that her body intimately nestles into his. Her body abruptly freezes, recognizing the foreign touch from a stranger and rebuffing it. A huge lump suddenly forms in her throat. She doesn't feel like this when Kaden is holding her.

"Let me go." Selene orders in a quiet voice. His captor shifted his eyes away and only looked forward as he continued to fly straight towards one direction before answering.

"I can't do that. I also don't like this, but I'm just following my orders,"

"What do you want from me?!"

He looks irritated, but instead of lashing out at her, he heaves a huge sigh as if trying to control his anger. "I'm not the one allowed to tell you that. So, stop asking questions." He reiterates with gritted teeth.

Selene is also trying her best to stay calm, and she repeatedly ingrains in her mind that she's flying thousands of meters above the air, and there's no other way but to wait for him to let her go. If by the slight chance that she snaps, this bird-man will see how horrible it is if she loses it.

Abruptly, he took a sudden flight towards the ground. And as they get closer, Selene finds herself gaping at the vast expanse of the white field with hundreds of glowing orbs dancing in the air that almost looked like a freaking light show. Why does it feel like she finds herself in a shitty situation every time since arriving in this weird fantasy world? Selene still couldn't end up hating it because of how charming this place was.

Selene yelps in surprise when her captor suddenly increases his speed, and in the blink of an eye, they are already a few meters above the ground, and he coolly dumped her like she's just a bundle of a sack. Thankfully, the heaps of snow serve as her cushion. Selene stands up and glares at the pompous jerk still floating in front of her.

"What the heck do you think you're doing?!" Selene growls out angrily.

"You said to let you go. So, I did."

Selene can already feel her anger bubbling just beneath the surface. "You're a pompous, insensitive, and pervert- bird!"

The man stares at her, utterly horrified because of her remark. "Bi--bird?! I'm not a bird! I am—"

"Alright, you can stop now. I don't want to hear it," Selene immediately cuts off.

The young man's glare turns even darker. She`s surprised that he is not strangling her neck. "Damn woman!" he hisses. "Vladimir! I've already done my job, so get her out of here!" he yells loudly into the dark space, his heated tone reverberating in the quiet night.

Selene glares at the birdman floating in front of her. If not for his attitude, Selene might have appreciated his beauty—especially his glossy dark wings that look eerily beautiful against the dark. The young man caught her staring, and he glowered back. Without meaning to, Selene ends up observing him from head to toe. Though he looks young, he is incredibly tall. He is about six feet tall, which matches his slender body, which almost seems too feminine. Although his body is covered with fitted black clothes, Selene can tell that his skin is as white as ivory because his face glows beneath the moonlight like a magnificently carved statue. His sea-blue green eyes also look frighteningly beautiful that it, almost looks ethereal. The only thing that made him look like an average person was how a few tendrils of his wavy golden blond hair escaped from his perfectly knotted hair that reached past his shoulders.

Although this is the first time she has seen someone like him, he seems familiar because, if she's not mistaken, Selene just read about it in one of the history books earlier. He looks like an average human except for his bird-like wings. If Selene remembers it correctly, people call them…." Demi-human," Selene whispers to herself.

Demi-humans are born from a human and a bestial relationship, taboo. Their existence is a shame to humanity. Completely shunned by society, they chose to live in secret. If not, they are hunted down like animals. And, just like how other countries agreed to eradicate their existence, the Kingdom of Lyriboña has also participated in the horrendous act of killing them off. Although in the book, it was justified as an act of cleansing Albion's world from monsters, just like how it is natural to slay demons. However, it is also known that demi-humans don't live for long. Even before they can reach their coming of age ceremony, their human body can't accept their spirit beast's manifestation, and they end up dying. And that is what everyone seems to believe. However, if this young man is a demi-human by chance, there is evidence of having the slightest chance of survival. Selene also read something about the extinction of the beast-kin since the collapse of their kingdom. Still, she couldn't get any other substantial information on a more detailed history because of its limited resources.

Since Selene has read about it, Kaden's face has been appearing on her mind, and she starts to question whether Khalil's deteriorating health is also related to it. And when recalling the desperation on Grandfather Kenshin's face as he went out of the house and braved the dangerous mountain to look for a rare flower to cure his grandson, her suspicions become even more persistent. And now this, just like Bethrion, he doesn't look like a typical thug who hunts monsters and demi-humans alike. However, it doesn't change that they need something from Kaden, and Selene needs to know their real intentions. It looks like Selene had to break the third clause in their contract. She also wants to consider it her affair, considering that she got kidnapped because of him.

When the clouds chose the perfect time to escape from the bright moon, a flying one-horned beast appeared in the sky and gracefully landed in front of her. Its body has a shape like a horse with golden scales covering its whole frame. Its head looked like a dragon, and Selene got drawn in his golden eyes, staring right through her soul.

"Stop being obnoxious, Zeno," the beast chided without leaving its eyes on her. His booming voice breaks the eerie silence of the night. While looking at him, Selene quickly identified that he was different from Zeno. It almost feels like he's the same as Kaden.

"I apologize for the rude behavior of my companion. We mean no harm. For now, we just want you to come quietly with us."

"You're companion took me against my will. I think I'm not that stupid to believe that you mean no harm," Selene replies in quiet anger. The beast's smile suddenly turns ominous, and his sharp white teeth flash brightly against the dark.

"Fair enough,"

Selene felt a shiver runs down her spine. His golden eyes look intelligent. She wouldn't be surprised that he is not the typical beast she read about in books. She can feel that he has undeniable vast knowledge and wisdom—too much of it that he will swallow her alive if she lets her guard down. Selene feels cornered and conflicted, but it is never in her nature to back down from a fight.

"Did you not succeed in your initial plan and finally make a dic—I mean, a cowardly move like this to get to Kaden?"

The beasts smile cryptically. "You've been observing well."

Selene smirks. "Maybe it's because your scout is doing a lousy job? What was his name again? I think it's Bethrion. Is that even his real name?"

Although the horned beast doesn't look like it, Selene can feel the heated anger rolling off him in waves. Has she always been this sensitive to others' energy? She still gets surprised every day since she arrives in this fantasy-like world.

"How long are you two going to talk? They already gave the signal." Zeno mutters irritably. He is already standing beside his companion, his wings hidden. He waits impatiently as he continues to tap his right foot rhythmically on the ground.

SUDDENLY, the glowing light from earlier spreads out in one direction, as if illuminating the dark path. And despite the captivating scenery, Selene finds herself weak-kneed and trembling while following the trail and with two not-so-human kidnappers walking behind her that threaten her safety and sanity. She didn't have a choice and marched forward until she arrived in front of a haunted-looking mansion. And when Selene goes inside the manor, she is ordered to go inside an even more dilapidated dark room with only the moon illuminating it. She noticed a tall and lanky man standing near the window, with his back on her. When he becomes aware of Selene's arrival, he turns in her direction with a friendly expression.

The moment Selene met his gaze, it took almost all her strength not to faint in front of him when she suddenly felt an excruciating and burning sensation crawling down her chest. Selene clutches her chest while writhing in pain, and dark bubbles start to dance in her vision. She hears distant voices coming to her rescue, and it truly feels likes she's going to faint again when the pain suddenly stops. And just like what happened back in Blackspire, everything had become deadly quiet, and short flashes of strange images assaulted her mind with reckless abandon—with the tall and lanky man from earlier at the center of everything. When it feels like Selene will be swallowed whole, a steady and firm hand pulls her out of her trance.

The man holding her is the one who has a striking resemblance to Kaden. He shares the same cold and sharp features and arresting ice-blue eyes that always make her think of winter. Everything is almost the same except for his raven black hair. Regardless of that difference, he could undoubtedly pass up as a sibling more than her. If she hadn't seen those images, she might still have doubts, but this man is not just anyone, he is Prince Nicolai Ernest Goldstein, the Third Prince of the Empire Ebon, and by some twisted fate, he is also Kaden's cousin. But it seems that the most important thing of all is this warped prince might be one of the people she's looking for. In one of the images she saw while in a trance, Selene saw his future with her on it. It must be why the blonde woman told her that she would know once she met them. She also felt the same burning sensation on her chest when their eyes met that happened with Cessair.

"Are you alright?" even their voice almost sounds the same but slightly different. Whereas Kaden's voice is cold but gentle, this man seems frigid and empty. Even his fake smile from earlier and his bogus worried face is getting on her nerves. Why does she have to get entangled with someone with a complicated and twisted personality?

Selene immediately straightened up and broke away from his grasp. This man is planning something that would put Kaden in danger.

Selene regards him with her usual business-like smile. "Whatever you're planning, don't involve Kaden in it. You may be related, but it doesn't mean that he will share the same sentiments."

Prince Nicolai's smile becomes fainter, but he still hasn't completely taken off his mask. "I don't understand what you're talking about."

Selene claps her hand, abruptly remembering something. "Woah! Bethrion mustn't have been doing his job properly. Ahhh, he must have been so focused on Kaden that he completely forgot about me, Kaden's pretend sister. So don't expect anything. Kaden doesn't like troublesome things, especially if it's something that will put him in danger. That's why he won't come."

Prince Nicolai's fake smile completely vanished. He glares at her like he badly wants to slice her in half. "How can you be so sure? I thought he was helping you."

Selene can't help but chuckle in amusement. At the very least, he's not that ignorant. Prince Nicolai must have received reports about Kaden for a long time now. He knows that Kaden is only helping her. However, she didn't know her secret, not yet. Selene is trying to rack her brain on how to get this prickly Prince on her side. It is hard to explain, but something in her body tells her that she is confident about her speculation. Her mind and instinct say so; that is why Selene needs his help. Still, how could he ask him to help her save his world when that person in question is plotting an act of revenge that would destroy an Empire?

She heaves a heavy sigh. In the end, she had to do this. "Since you're special, I will tell you a secret, Prince Nicolai Ernest Goldstein, the Third Prince of the Empire of Ebon," Selene announces in a frighteningly calm voice; she also got goosebumps.

When Selene openly and without hesitation declared their master's identity, the room became deadly quiet, as if everyone had forgotten to breathe. However, Selene can taste the tension in the air. From the corner of her eye, she can see his guards settle their hands on their swords, poised for a strike. She can also feel Zeno and Vladimir's stare boring a hole in her back. Though out of all those, Selene thinks that the most frightening person inside that room at that moment is Prince Nicolai himself. A menacing aura comes out of his body in waves; it feels suffocating. His eyes also grew darker that they almost looked hollow. Selene can see that he's about to snap, but she can't believe that she still had the guts to provoke them while she's alone and surrounded like this. She nervously grips the gold coin inside her coat pocket.

"I can see a glimpse of your past… and your future. If you don't want to experience a miserable ending and die in vain, abandon that revenge. Instead, hold my hand, and I will help you survive."

The moment Selene said those words, it didn't escape her eyes the way Prince Nicolai tightened his hand on the hilt of his sword. It looks like she will get sliced despite being a young frail-looking girl. Well, it's not like she wasn't aiming for this. Selene just had to hammer the nail to the deep end, and then the carefully made mask he's wearing will entirely fall off.

Selene just needs to scrape deeper into his wound. "Do you think your mother will be happy seeing you like this?"

"Stop your bloody drivel!" Prince Nicolai growled out in rage; his voice reverberated in every room corner, rattling her body. The vacant look in his eyes confirms that he just lost all sense of reason, and he let his murderous instinct take over. Selene sees his sword glint against the moonlight in a flash as he mercilessly tries to slash her. Just as she expected, despite being prepared for the attack, she barely manages to dodge the strike of his sword. Selene looks at her injured left arm and tries to press the wound using her free hand. She smiles in amusement, despite the radiating pain in her arm. She just needs a drop of blood, but the gold coin must have already been soaked with it because of the deep wound. It seems like the healing is also taking a long time.

Selene tries to regain her bearing and stares at Prince Nicolai with a smirk on her lips. "You have quite a bad temper. I can't believe you tried to kill me."

She glances at Vladimir, the horned beast that's already standing a little bit closer to his crazed master, before drifting her gaze back to Prince Nicolai.

"And yet, this subordinate of yours assured me that you mean no harm. I can't believe that I would ever meet a psychopath like you. That's why I won't ask for your forgiveness for doing this."

Selene swiftly raises her right leg up to the side without limiting her strength and kicks him hard on the face, sending him flying outside the window into the thick snow. Before her guards can even recover from their shock and capture her, Selene flips the blood-soaked gold coin, her last hope of escape, and a large flash of white-bright light envelopes her body. Before Selene completely disappears, she turns towards Zeno, standing still with his mouth still hanging open in disbelief.

"Please, tell him to think about my proposal. I will wait for his reply." Selene's voice sounded garbled as she conveyed her final message. At the last moment, he sees Zeno recovering from the shock and dashes towards her before Selene disappears into the night.