░12░ The Mysterious Guy

'He's a very good friend. I hope I get to know him better one day’

Iris thought about Damon and it only made her blush. She was now holding the box where Ellie was and looking into it, she suddenly smile. Knowing that the little bird earlier – named Ellie – was now sleeping soundly in the tiny box she’s holding. Upon stopping for a bit, she continued walking again to her house inside the Seil village

Upon walking around she looked at the surroundings and up to the sky knowing that night was already approaching. She walked faster until she heard someone groaning beside the path she's in. For a second there, shivers run down her spine thinking that some ghosts had been creeping into the forest she's heading. Most likely, to the trees beside the path she's walking but when she looked around, there was none

With that, she decided to calm down. She closed her eyes for a moment breathing slowly, disregarding the groaning sounds she's hearing. Upon opening her eyes, she was determined to run as fast as she could. However, that very moment upon opening her eyes, she saw some familiar figure that was laying far towards the village. The figure word all black clothes but she can tell who the person was

She nearly stumbled to the ground feeling like some ghosts in her past had crept their way to her earlier. Yet, when she focused her sight on the figure, she know that it’s way too familiar to know that it's a ghost. Being a curious cat as she was, she can't avoid such feelings of excitement - about knowing the truth of her curiosity

With that, she tightly gripped the box she's holding, then she breathed slowly, and decided to walk towards the figure. She only find out who it was when she was already one meter away from the person

'So it was him after all, but why? Why is he leaning on the tree, groaning and breathing slowly like he's out of air?'

Iris was worried as she thought of those in her mind. She was worried at the guy that saved her from the carriages earlier. There she knew that someone have attacked him because he looks like he was wounded b his expressions

'No wonder he would be attacked because of his suspicious clothing. He was wearing all-black clothes in the early morning until the night. Who wouldn't attack such a person if they found out that he's very suspicious, right?'

Iris thought exhaling deeply while being concerned with the person. She was not crept at all with its unusual figure, clothes. As well as, she was not crept why he was there in the middle of the forest at night. She never questioned those things. Because all in her mind currently was to help the guy. That was to repay him for saving her earlier from the carriages

Upon deciding to help the guy, she put the little box gently on the ground not wanting Ellie to wake up. Then after, seeing the little bird sleeping soundly, she sighed for a little while. She now was slowly going near to the groaning guy knowing he's so much in pain. Afterward, Iris saw how the guy was running out of air in his lungs like he was pained, sweats were dripping down from his face making his clothes wet

"Oh goodness! What could've happened to you, mister?" Iris blurted out after looking at the guy who was pained. By that, she immediately looked at the guy's face only to see that he's hurting. She even touched his forehead and there she knew that the guy had a fever

Being a righteous person as she was, she didn't want to abandon the guy. Most likely that he was also hurt from something so she helped him get up. She put his arms around her shoulders for support

'I probably leave Ellie for a little while here. Besides, no one will ever go in this place unless it was afternoon and because it was night, I'm pretty sure all the people who lived in our village had gotten home already'

With that thought, she gently fixed his figure and gently wrapped his arms around her shoulders. She inhaled and exhaled waiting for the moment to walk him towards their house for treatment

'I guess El will not be the first guy I'll have to introduce to my parents seeing that this mysterious guy got hurt and badly needed to get treatment'

She sighed after thinking of those. Then, she started her first step making it harder for her to walk but because the guy needed help she needed to stay strong and walked towards their home. She started walking again until she felt the heaviness of the guy on her back. However, with such determination ahead she walked again and again while breathing hard until she finally made it to her home

She gently unwrapped his arms around her shoulders and laid him to the side of their door as she opened their home. Only to find that no one was there

"Mom? Dad? Grey? Where are you all?" Iris asked looking inside their house that was left dark

'Probably mom and dad were in the market to tour Grey around especially rewarding him about being behaved'

Iris thought and with that, she carefully took the mysterious guy. She was again holding his right arm and made him stand a little until he can balance himself making her his support

"Careful," she said after taking care of the mysterious guy as they went inside her house. She went towards their small living room and gently sat the guy who was still breathing hard. There, after laying him, she walked towards their small cabinet near the kitchen for some first aid kit

After finding the aiding kit, she immediately went near the guy and gently removed his black clothes. Even though the guy was confused and never liked to be helped, he can't say anything at the moment because of his pain

'When did I get into this place? Ah, it's because of that - but because of my back I wasn't able to do the task properly' the guy who was - Lucius - thought for a moment trying to focus his vision on the place he is. But he can't- considering the pain gives him a certain headache

There he groaned again ultimately surrendering to the person who's helping him remove his clothes from the place

"Be careful, let me treat you this time. Just don't try to ask because you still are pained," Iris said, then it only made Lucius sigh while still breathing hard – with an accompanying groan

Iris looked at his face finally looking at the eyes of the mysterious guy who had helped her from the carriage. She paused for a while, knowing it was a deep blue ocean. The kind of eyes that’s the same as hers but different. The eyes that are making her drawn more into him. However because of his groan, Iris was again brought back to reality

'What did I suddenly think that?! Get back to your senses Iris!'

With that, she sighed continuing to remove his upper clothes until she saw something unexpected. The thing that made her almost stumbles to the floor. With hand to her mouth, trying to suppress the shock she must’ve felt upon seeing Lucius’ back – it was truly swelling, bloodied and deep in wound

"This is not funny at all, who are you and where did you get these bruises from? Holy molly!" Iris unconsciously blurted out upon being surprised, enough for him to groan again

Instead of waiting for his answer to clear some questions clouding in her mind, she immediately prepared some first aid to his back. She was now standing up as she was taking a basin in their kitchen and white cloth. She boiled some warm water and upon waiting for it to warm up. Then, she went near Lucius again and comfortably made him sit

Seeing how sweats were streaming down his face, even though she wasn't permitted she immediately removed the lower black-clothed mask he had from his nose down to his mouth. Upon doing so, she was immediately surprised at how gorgeous the man was. She can't help but stare at his beauty and again she removed the black cloth from his hair revealing his dark smooth hair in front of her. Lucius wanted to stop the person's hand who was continuingly caressing him but he doesn't have any energy to do so. Because of the overflowing pain that he's feeling, he’s letting the person do anything on his body as he closes his eyes to rest a bit from the pain

Iris upon seeing the guy who had deep blue eyes, dark hair, pale skin, pointed nose, and thin red lips she felt like she picked a prince from the sides of the forest just to help him

'My goodness, I can't believe he's this gorgeous! How did he end up staying in the forest while he's having some bleeding and bruises on his back? That's absurd!'

Iris wanted to say something at him but immediately shut her mouth when she saw that he had already closed his eyes

There, she heard the boiling sound of the water and immediately fetched the basin and white cloth. She went near the kitchen and turned off the fire, in heating the water. She poured the kettle into the basin carefully and mixed it up with some cold water. After, she soaked her hands to feel the water as it felt lukewarm enough. With that, she suddenly sighed and shook her head walking near to where Lucius was. Then, she gently puts the basin and white cloth at the side table. She observed Lucius for a while until she gently guide him for aiding his back

With him being obedient for the moment, she easily put the white cloth inside the lukewarm water in the basin. She squeezed them as she gently wiped his bloodied and bruised back. A few minutes later, his back was now cleaned only bruises and scars were left to be seen

Though, what shocked Iris was the symbol that was engraved on his back. Like the symbol was put intentionally on his back making the skin surrounding it swollen in red – an old color of red. But focusing her view towards the symbol, she thought it was familiar enough for her to remember something

With her deep thinking about the symbol, she immediately searched her pocket. There, she found the crumpled paper and gently opened it only to find out that the symbol on the guy's back and the symbol on the crumpled paper was the same. She focused her sight on the symbol but she couldn't pinpoint where she saw the symbol in the past years. She knew she remembered seeing the same symbol making it familiar to her

When she was about to think again and remember where she could've seen the symbol, footsteps outside their house were heard. There she knew that her parents were already home together with her little brother

"We're home! Iris are you there? Seems the lights were not turned off when we went outside Victor," Olivia said concerned in front of her husband who was holding Grey on his shoulders – who was eating an apple candy

"No Olivia, Iris was already here and if I might add she was with someone in the house,"

"What?!"

'Uh-oh, dad always has a very sharp sense!'