Past and Present

SELENE stares at the crystal ball carefully laid out on her desk. A day had already passed, but there was still no news from Zaza. This is the second night that she has been waiting for him to contact her through the communication ball. The crystal ball didn't light up or anything to signal his call, just like Zaza told her. Although Selene had tried to go back to her usual routine, at the end of the day, she couldn't help but wait for him, to the point that she's getting anxious. Even while she was having a meeting with Lady Grayson and Lord Cassius, her mind keeps wandering about him.

Selene is even wearing her usual everyday clothes beneath the thick robe. So in case, he contacts her, she can just take it off. It's already bad that she's meeting a man at night that she can't just literally waltz in on his home wearing her nightgown. Marchioness Rozeman will pass out if she knew. She's already acting like an overprotective mother hen that Selene can sometimes see a resemblance between her and her biological mom. However, no one can still beat her birth mother because, until the end, she died protecting her.

It happened when Selene was only thirteen years old. After her mother spent months in the hospital getting her treatment, her mother Marisol insisted that she wanted to spend some time in the province where her parents' house was located. When they finally had the doctor's permission, Selene moves into a new home with her mother and younger sister, Bethany. Because Selene's father is working in the city while her older sister also has her internship, they can only go home over the weekends.

Selene moved to a new school, along with Bethany. She was in seventh grade at that time. For her, everything was going smoothly. She managed to make some new friends, do exceptionally well in her academics, and lastly, she was able to spend a lot of time with her Mom. When her mother was hospitalized for consecutive months, Selene can only see her when she doesn't have school, and she doesn't like it one bit. She remembered that she always throws a tantrum whenever his father refused to let her visit her.

However, the peaceful and happy life that Selene thought will last forever was broken in an instant when an unknown assailant broke into their home in the middle of the night. The only thing that she knows at that time was that her Mother came into their room and frantically waked them up from their slumber. Bethany was too drowsy to get up from bed, so her Mother carried her while Selene follows her in her study. She ordered them to hide inside a secret room with its small door hidden beneath the carpeted rug. At that time, Selene was still half-asleep, so she followed her Mother's instruction without asking a question and protected Bethany's sleeping body just as she was told.

It is only until later did she realize that it was the biggest mistake of her life. She still regrets it until now that Selene couldn't even forgive herself. At that time, she didn't know that it would be the last time that she will see her mother alive. While she was hiding to save herself, her mother struggled for her life. Selene heard her mother's cries as she was beaten and stabbed to death while pools of blood seeped through the carpet and to the gaps of the hidden door and trickled down her face.

At that time, Selene froze in her spot while tears spill down her cheeks. She had to bit her lips to stifle the scream that wants to erupt from her mouth. Selene couldn't go against her mother's wishes, and she couldn't risk Bethany's safety either. At that time, Selene didn't know how long she waited in that hidden room. All she remembers was that she was just staring through the dark space through the whole ordeal until Bethany wakes up in her arms.

When they emerged from the secret place, she found her mother's lifeless body a few meters away from them. And as if her mother's blood-soaked body is not enough to drive her over the edge, her foot caught a bulk of black hair soaked with blood. When she takes a second look at her mother, only then did she recognize that it was her mother's hair. In particular, it was a wig she wears to hide her shaven head. Later on, when Selene asked her father about it, he told her that she had terminal cancer. And because of the piling medical expenses, instead of staying in the hospital, her mother decided that she can just spend her remaining days at her parent's home.

Selene fell flat on her butt, losing all her senses. Her vision darkened, and she remembers hearing an earth-shrieking scream that she, later on, realized coming from her own mouth. After that incident, they didn't find out who was the assailant who murdered her mother. There was limited physical evidence that could push through the investigation until it became a cold case. Selene didn't know if it was her way of coping, but she started studying like a madwoman, sparing no time for rest. She took the grade acceleration test she refused numerous times out of selfishness and applied for full scholarships abroad. At that time, Selene thought she had no time to waste because she has to make a lot of money. She couldn't help her mother; the last thing she can do is protect her remaining family.

At the age of sixteen, Selene graduated from college with a course under Pharmacology and Toxicology. When she was eighteen, she finished her Master's Degree. And while Selene was busy building her own company with the help of her eldest sister, she juggled it together in completing her Doctoral Degree. From then on, the rest was history. She became successful, earned a lot of money, and became famous because of her active participation in charitable organizations. Truthfully, she was getting tired of everything, but she just couldn't drop it because of a whim. When the company grew, her body is not only hers alone, not anymore. There were thousands of employees relying on her. Breaking down, giving up, and living freely is not a choice that she could make. Selene thought that she would be living that kind of life until she grows old and dies well until the accident happened. And now, she had another pile of problems to solve, and it's even more complicated than the previous ones she had to deal with.

Selene slams her forehead to the table in frustration when the door suddenly crashes open and reveals Kaden. He truly has an extraordinary hearing. Is it the perks of having the blood of the beast-kin flowing through his veins?

Kaden walks over towards her direction. He is still decked out in his complete uniform, wearing his usual stern and worried face that she had grown accustomed with. "What are you doing? Why are you not sleeping?"

She can't exactly say that she's waiting for someone. "I can't sleep."

"Just try to lie down and close your eyes,"

Selene shakes her head while still smack dab on the desk. "You don't know how jealous I am with people that can just easily fall asleep once their body hits the bed. I had to spend hours of changing into various sleeping positions that I could pass off as an acrobat."

"Then maybe you can try changing positions in your bed, not on the desk," Kaden retorts grimly.

Selene sits up properly and folds her arms across her chest while she glares at Kaden.

"Why are you still here? Our health needs to complete the eight-hours of sleep. So, you should go and turn in for the night. Just rest,"

"Sometimes, I really can't follow your reasoning. From now on, I' am assigned as your guard. I can't exactly fall asleep when I have to protect you,"

This is why Selene thinks that Marchioness Rozeman became an overprotective mother hen. Well, it's not like she's the only one. "I'm inside my room. The knights who are patrolling the perimeter of the residence increased. The security had become so tight that everyone living in here is on edge,"

Selene turns towards a massive black vulture perched in the corner of her room. It is staring at them with an unrivalled intensity that it feels unnerving. Its deep dark eyes are specifically latched to her every move.

"Do you see my intimidating guest? It's one of Zeno's summoned beasts staying here to look after me. As if it wasn't enough, Vladimir cast a freaking protection barrier surrounding the whole mansion and further upgrading his magic spell in my quarters. Don't you think that's enough?"

To Selene's surprised, Kaden snorts a barely contained laugh. "Are you angry?"

She couldn't help but smile despite her frustration. "No, I'm just trying to justify why you should just go back to your room and sleep,"

Kaden took the seat in front of her and copied her posture. "I'm still worried that's why I'm staying. You should be grateful that Cessair is keeping quiet amidst all this,"

Selene threw her arms in the air while laughing. "Thank the gods for small miracles,"

When Selene thought that the awkwardness of the situation is finally lifted off her chest, Kaden's face suddenly grew somber. He placed his arms on the table and slightly leaned towards her.

"You still haven't answered my question last time. Where did you go?"

He is talking about the conversation they had after her chat with Marchioness Rozeman. Although Selene told him the same excuse, she said the Marchioness, and he didn't buy her story. Selene thought it was over because he let her go without

Even though he didn't believe her, Selene can't just change her story. She has a promise to keep. "I already told you that I—"

Kaden immediately cut her off while shaking his head. "I managed to track your scent up to the Millwood Town. I thought that I was close to finding you but your scent suddenly disappeared without a trace. I couldn't find you anywhere. If it's true that you only stayed in Millwood, there's no way I wouldn't be able to find you."

And you reek of someone's scent. The smell is so distinct that I almost thought you'd been marked, Kaden thought to himself. However, despite the curiosity nagging his mind, he couldn't force himself to ask. Besides, Kaden is not sure whether he is prepared to listen to what she has to say.

He suspiciously looks over to the crystal ball laid out on her table and to the stiff frozen expression on Selene's face. He is the one who told her not to meddle in his affairs. However, Kaden is doing the exact opposite of what they had agreed on. Maybe, he should just change their agreement. It feels like Kaden is going crazy just by thinking about the things she's not willing to tell him.

"I couldn't tell you any more than that. I have a promise to keep. I'm sorry." Selene whispers while looking at him with a troubled expression on her face. At that moment, Kaden thought that he really has a soft spot for her. Because despite Selene's defiance, he is immediately soothed by the thought that she's considering his feelings.

Kaden heaves a huge sigh before nodding in understanding. "I understand, but if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm willing to listen. I'm your guardian, after all."

Kaden didn't wait to hear her reply and immediately went out of Selene's room, but before he can even close the door, he heard her whisper a short thank you. And it was more than enough to make him happy. Whether Kaden likes it or not, he doesn't have a choice but to accept the fact that Selene had taken up space in his heart.

Awhile later, Selene fell asleep on her seat while waiting for Zaza's call. However, she jumps awake in surprise when she heard a rumbling voice echoing inside her head while calling out to her. Selene's skin prickled with tension, and she could feel a powerful and ominous suffocating her surroundings.

"Wake up, human! You have a lot of things you need to do!"

When she looks over to her balcony, Selene found large reptilian eyes staring back at her. She couldn't see the creature's whole body, but she can see a distinctive pair of black horns on its head, flat and wide angular flaring nostrils, and a massive maw decorated with razor-sharp teeth gleaming against the dark as it grinned at her. As if entranced, Selene finds herself walking towards the creature. Selene couldn't understand what's going on, but it is as if someone else took over her body because she couldn't help but feel the need to touch the creature's face, even though she's supposed to be scared.

When Selene was only a few steps away from the creature, it spoke again inside her head. "Get rid of the hordes of demons pestering my lair. Isn't that your job as the Gods' avatar?"

What the creature said slaps Selene wide-awake. "What the heck are you talking about?" she muttered in confusion. Is she still dreaming? And how did it managed to get past the barrier without Vladimir noticing?

"I don't have time to explain! Just ride on my back!" the dark creature snarled in anger. His presence carried a strong and powerful force enough to rattle the whole mansion. There's no way no one would have noticed! When Selene looks around, afraid that someone might be alerted because of its menacing presence, she didn't see anyone. Instead, it seems like Selene and the dark creature is inside a gigantic bubble barricading everyone from outside. It's like they are temporarily inside a different dimension. Selene had seen a lot of weird things in this world that she's more afraid that she is getting used to this.

When the dark creature moves, it reveals a gorgeous and gigantic pair of wings, starting from just below its shoulders, finally showing its true form. Selene sighs tiredly. Now, what is a dragon doing in her backyard?