Chapter Three

LIA POV

"Lia, once Shikai is back, you will be summoned to the throne room. There you will be given one hour. You can ask whatever questions you want. But I must remind you, this is going to be our last meeting. So prioritize your questions well," Tangen explained.

"Excuse me? Tangen, first of all, why do you think I will be interested in the question round? I just want to go back, so take me home," I exclaimed, my frustration reaching its peak. I knew Tangen was powerful, but I couldn't let that deter me from expressing my desire to return to my own world.

Tangen's calm demeanor only infuriated me further. "Firstly, you have no right to order me, and secondly, no," he replied with a tone that seemed almost dismissive.

I couldn't believe his audacity. Who did he think he was to dictate my fate? My anger boiled inside me, but I knew I had to be cautious. Tangen was not someone I could challenge easily.

"You have no right to keep me here against my will! I demand to be taken back!" I retorted, trying to assert my own will even in the face of his power.

But Tangen remained unfazed. "You may demand all you want, but the decision is not yours to make. There are reasons why you are here, and you will learn of them in due time."

I wanted to argue further, to fight for my freedom, but a part of me knew that it would be futile. Tangen was not someone I could reason with or persuade easily. My heart sank as I realized that I was at his mercy, and there was little I could do to change that.

As my frustration towards Tangen grew exponentially, I couldn't hold back my retort. "This stupid little boy!!! BLAST HIM!!" I fumed in my mind, venting my anger in the privacy of my thoughts.

As my anger simmered, Tangen's response caught me off guard. "I warn you to never utter whatever shit you call me in your tiny head. If you don't know, let me tell you I am not a stupid little boy. I am old enough to be your ancestor."

His words stunned me, and I could only gape at him in astonishment. How could he have known what I was thinking? This was beyond comprehension.

Fudoki, realizing that I was taken aback, stepped in to explain. "Ummm... Lia, sorry I forgot to mention, but Tangen has one more ability where he can read someone's mind," he said with extreme embarrassment.

The revelation left me feeling vulnerable and exposed. I had to be careful about what I thought around Tangen. It was unsettling to know that my thoughts were not private, and he could easily pry into my innermost feelings and frustrations.

Bodhin, on the other hand, seemed unfazed by the revelation and added his own callous opinion. "So what? Why are you even apologizing to her? We have no obligation to tell her anything. After all, she is just a weak human girl, and I agree with you. You're not fit for that land. You should go home. Tangen, why not let Auzlin drop this girl back at her home?"

His dismissive and disrespectful attitude angered me even more. "Excuse me? Who are you to decide what's best for me?" I shot back, refusing to be belittled by him. "I may be a human girl, but that doesn't make me weak or incapable. And I never asked for any of this. I want to go home, and I won't let anyone stand in my way."

Tangen observed the exchange silently, his expression unreadable. I could sense that he was assessing the situation, and his next words carried a hint of understanding. "I understand your desire to return to your world. But you must also understand that there are reasons why we brought you here. It's not a decision we made lightly."

His vague response frustrated me even further. "Reasons? What reasons? You expect me to accept this absurd situation without any explanation?" I retorted, my patience wearing thin.

Tangen's gaze met mine, and he seemed to hesitate before responding, "There are things beyond your current understanding that are at play here. All I can say is that we need your help, and we believe you have a part to play in a greater purpose."

His cryptic words only fueled my frustration, but I realized that I might not get the answers I wanted at this moment.

"Fine," I said, trying to steady myself. "But if I'm going to be stuck here, I expect some level of respect and consideration. I won't be treated like a pawn in your schemes."

Tangen nodded, his expression more serious now. "You have my word. We'll do our best to make your stay here as comfortable as possible," he assured me.

"No way! Tangen, you are crazy. If you let her go there, she will be dead meat before she steps into that place."

I waited for Fudoki to respond to Bodhin's statement, but not a single response came. It meant only one thing: whatever place they want to send me, like a parcel, is an extremely dangerous place. Now I am more than sure that I want to go home.

"Tangen, do you have a plan, right?" Fudoki asked with a worried look. I don't know if it's for me or there is some other reason, but after seeing his face for the first time, I feel a little happy. At least there is someone.

"If you guys are so free, why not help me in the office?"

"Tangen, I just remembered I had to talk with the Butler about today's lunch."

"Bodhin, when did we hire a butler? Why didn't you inform me? Anyways, where is the Butler? I want to see. It's been ages since we hired someone. I'm tired of doing all the chores," as Fudoki said, excitement clearly showing in his face.

"You don't know who the Butler is?"

"No?"

"Ohh I forgot to tell you, Fudoki. Anyways, Congratulations! Hurray! You are hired as the Butler for your humble home!!!"

Fudoki becomes speechless after hearing Bodhin's nonsense.

As I heard Tangen count down, "3..2..1"

"FUCK YOU!! Bodhin!!! Your grandma is the butler. If you drank mama's milk, then stop right there, you animal!!" as Fudoki ran after Bodhin, who was now running and laughing like a maniac.

Now, I could barely control my laughter; this Bodhin is a walking entertainer. When I saw Tangen's face, I was surprised to see that even Tangen's constant poker face was vanished, replaced with an adorable smile. Aww, this needs an actual celebration.

"Lia, I think I need to remind you again that I can read your thoughts. So drop your foolish appearance. Bye, see you tomorrow," I gazed after Tangen as he walked away. Now, all the laughter disappeared, and the previous nervousness and anxiety flooded inside my mind.

"Okay, now I am craving a coffee. Auzlin, do you think this place will have coffee?" as I stared at Auzlin, waiting for some sign. After spending some time with Auzlin, I understand that even though Auzlin can't speak, he has high intelligence.

He started shaking his head from left to right.

"Okay, I will take it as a 'no.' So, Auzlin, do you always stay outside?" I would feel bad if I left this dragon behind.

Instead of answering my question, he just stared at me for two seconds like he was debating inside his head. After some time, he took both his wings in front of his face and dropped his big head down. I was confused by the sudden action, but this confusion left within five seconds as Auzlin started to shine like a radiant sun!

"You idiot! Just give me some heads up before you start showing off!"

As I hurriedly closed my eyes, it felt like an eternity. I slowly opened my eyes when I felt they were safe enough to open. But what I saw left me in total awe. I couldn't believe my eyes; this was the same Auzlin who a second ago looked like a ferocious monster. Now it looked like a cute, adorable fur ball.

"GOSH, YOU LOOK SO CUTE!!" I exclaimed as I squeezed the Auzlin, who was now struggling inside my grip.

"Okay, I will let you go on one condition – if you help me find where the kitchen is. I am famished right now." I said as I dropped Auzlin on the floor.

"Now lead the way, captain," I said to Auzlin as he started walking with his small legs toward the right side of the place where we were standing. I asked Auzlin for help because if I tried to find the kitchen in this whole castle on my own, I would likely lose my way.

As we roamed inside the castle for five minutes, I was in awe of everything I saw. The beauty of the castle was beyond any words. The huge chandelier above the dining table looked stunning and grand. But what truly amazed me was a particular painting.

This painting was different from the others in the rooms. It depicted a place that seemed almost heavenly, as if it were a piece of paradise brought into the mortal world.

Suddenly, I felt a pang of pain. A single tear rolled down my cheek, and my throat felt tight. Tears streamed down my face. I was surprised by my sudden outburst. I had never experienced anything like this before.

Why did I feel so sad after seeing this painting? Why did I feel so nostalgic, as if I knew this place too well even though I had never been there in my whole life?

"This place is called Aryavartha," I heard a voice say, and I jumped in surprise.

"Oh... sorry to startle you. Hi, I am Shikai, the fourth member of the group," the person introduced himself. As I looked at Shikai's appearance, I realized he was dressed like Tangen, Fudoki, and Bodhin in fierce red clothes. However, unlike Tangen's poker face, Bodhin's mischievous grin, and Fudoki's innocent look, Shikai had an easy-going demeanor with a smile hanging on his face.

"Hi, I am Lia, the person you kidnapped from the human world?" I replied cautiously.

"Hehe, good intro. I am sorry for kidnapping you. If the situation was not so urgent, I would have given you time to adapt and the chance to say goodbye to your friends and family before bringing you here," Shikai said with some remorse.

"So it means I am stuck here. No way can I change your mind?" I asked, feeling a sense of hopelessness.

"No. Anyways, what are you doing here with Auzlin?" Shikai inquired.

"I was feeling hungry, hence I told Auzlin to direct me to the kitchen."

"Ohh..I see, come follow me," Shikai said, leading the way. I just gave another glance at the painting, deciding to think about my sudden outburst another time. Right now, I needed food. However, when I tried to move my body, I realized I couldn't. Panic set in as I attempted to call out for help, but my mouth wouldn't open. It was as if my entire body was paralyzed.

In horror, I watched as my body started to drag towards the painting. I tried to resist, but I was powerless to stop it. Auzlin, sensing my distress, threw himself at me and in a blink of an eye, a bright light shone out, engulfing both of us, and we were pulled inside the painting.

Not again. This was the last thought before everything went blank.