Gifts

The male is quite hot and attractive to look at. Right in front of my eyes. Half-naked. Sweating. It's almost as though I've previously encountered him in one of my nightmares. Or was it a dream?

I felt a strange connection between us. Why do we glow every time we're near each other?

Who is he?

He was burning my skin, and he was either a god or a fallen angel sent from the mysterious mountain of Noah. When I was still outside the Tribus, it seemed that the legends were genuine and that the gods lived here. They were real.

I took a baby step backward, but my legs stopped moving on their own as soon as they could lock with the rest of my body in what appeared to be an unexplainable sensation. Once more, we began to light up. It seemed as though the moon had disappeared from view in that jungle. His stare was able to encircle both me and us, giving the impression that we were meant to be together.

I was unable to move. I didn't experience any dread or danger either. At this very moment, all that my physical being and my spirit wanted to do was look at him, go closer to him, and touch him.

Am I hypnotized?

I think so.

Do I like what is happening?

My physical self actively pursued the connection that could be made between us, but my mental self was adamantly against how it reacted. It appeared that I had no resistance to it during those times, regardless of what I was thinking or doing. He had dominion over me.

My mind.

My body.

He owns me.

He blinked. His eyes shimmered with a golden and silvery hue at the same time. It seemed like he had severed the tie that bound the two of us together with just a single blink.

I suddenly sensed my own body. As the dangerously attractive man draws nearer, I can feel every part of my body beginning to shake. His eyes traveled from one part of my body to the next. I cast a murderous glare in the direction of his left arm.

"Who are you?" he asked. Then he moved closer until there was only a foot between us, ignoring his glowing body.

The intensity of the acid that began to pour through my body increased as it continued its journey. The lovely man who was just partially clothed and sweating was making me squirm.

"I'm Stel—" I came close to revealing my name. I was fortunate enough to have the ability to think, and my covert operation was successful. It was the same as what my mother always said. Never reveal my hand of cards to an unknown person. The individual in question was a complete unknown.

He frowned, and his jaw darkened. He looked impatient, waiting for me to say my name. His jaw tightened. "I'll give you one last chance to talk," he sighs immaculately and then continues, "I'll ask you again, stranger. Who are you?"

I swallowed the lump in my throat from where I stood. I couldn't help but stare at his handsome face, hit by the moonlight that filtered through the tree leaves.

"H-help me." That was the only thing I could utter after a moment of silence. The shaking spread throughout my entire body once more. The response reflected the anxiety that had settled on my face, and my expression reflected that fear.

I saw his tightened jaw fall. The muscles in his face somewhat relaxed to accommodate the curiosity. His thick eyebrows receded from a crease. "What's going on?"

"Someone's after me. Someone wants to abduct me… or even kill me!"

The left side of his lips rose to form a smirk. He saw it as a hoax. He cleared his throat and gazed back at me. Then he asked, "You are Stella Suarez?"

My air supply to the tube in my throat was abruptly cut off. My reaction was to withdraw. Suddenly, I was terrified of this man. My complete name? How did he know it?

He frowned when he noticed my reaction. This guy could read minds. Literally, "I heard those guys talking about you. They've been dispatched."

"Dispatched?"

"Dead? Jailed? I don't know what would happen to such people if they go against the Trinity or anyone who is a friend, guest, or important to the prime clans."

I swallowed. My throat suddenly got dry from being so nervous. "That fast?"

He chuckled softly. I think I look ignorant in front of this.

"Hell yes. Welcome to Tribus!"

He abruptly turned his back on me. He turned his sultry back on me as I looked on, naive. Her lovely back, especially her rounded butt, caused me to wince. You can thank god for this guy—an uncivilized deity who only resorts to threats and cold-shouldering.

The trees' shadows slowly swallowed the man's bulk. As he walked through the mulch-covered ground, I could hear the compacted twigs and leaves crackling. He didn't give a damn that I was watching or that he was abandoning a helpless girl.

"S—sir?" I called.

It came to a halt beneath a willow tree. The moon's reflection arrived once more at its destination. He looked divine even from afar. It was staring at me.

"Go back to the ceremony, Miss Suarez. I may not sound convincing and compelling, but my word is the only thing you can trust."

"Tell that to a new girl in a mysterious Tribus."

"There is nothing to worry about, Miss. Take a deep breath and worry about nothing. That fear is just in your head, I guarantee. The Trinity will keep you safe." His voice, now convincing and compelling, echoed in the forest.

Why does he seem connected to the three families he has been associated with? What gives him such conviction in what he's saying? I don't understand why I believe what I hear.

I lost my ability to communicate for a while there. Suddenly, the brilliant light from a flashlight held by a uniformed staff member, most likely from Trinity, grabbed my eye. After I turned to look where the strange man had been standing, I found that he had already left.

I awaited the two prime clan butlers, each of whom wore a distinctive patch on the left chest of his uniform, to come to me. Everyone was a towering man, rippling with muscle and bearing a snarl of defiance on his face. I'm curious as to who or what chooses the family of the Holy Trinity and how it happens.

Why do they resemble gods who descended to earth to worship the Trinity? In my opinion, Santi, Aragon, and Leviste look twice as good. Some of their ancestors have appeared in advertisements that I have seen in magazines and billboards.

"Miss Suarez, it's a good thing we found you. Your mom is so worried; we have to go back."

The man didn't say a word as he guided me back through the trees and up the rocky section. Neither of them said a word as they took my hand and walked me back to our designated table.

On my way back to the Baristo circle, I saw a group of Tribian officers quietly patrolling a nearby section of the woods. The man in the woods was probably correct. There was peace now.

Nonetheless, I have yet to learn the true motivation behind anyone's desire to place someone like me under arrest.

My mom's face lit up with relief as she spotted me and the butler approaching. As he perplexedly studied me, my father got up from his chair. The grin on Avi's face was highly sheepish.

"Oh god, Stella!" My mother immediately turned to hug me.

At first, my dad rubbed my shoulder and tapped me on the back. It was unsettling to hear nothing from him. Whenever my dad started having trouble communicating, I knew. He began to suspect that there was more to the story than was being told.

" I g—got lost, mom. I didn't know that this place was so big. " I lied.

"I know. I know... We were just worried," mom innocently uttered under her breath.

"Love, she's fine!" my father said, smiling back at her.

"Someone saved her. I have seen the strings finally connected! Glowing strings..." my sister exclaimed shrill but happy manner and started to chew again in her seat.

I turned my head to look at my father. Again, my younger sister started making up strange string sentences. Since our family was extended an invitation to live in the Tribe, it has been strictly forbidden to discuss this topic amongst family members.

I still give off a glowing glow when my emotions are particularly intense. I haven't figured out how to quit doing that yet. My dad had trained us to do so. My gift, as well as Avi's, was a closely guarded family secret. My father viewed it as our ticket into the ideal world, with all its intricacies and challenges, such as coexisting with the mysterious inhabitants of Tribus.