Chapter 5. The Glow Following The Gale

A glimmer of light began to perk into her eyes as a sign to wake up. She viewed left and right, taking mental images of the foreign surroundings. Almost every detail is coated in dark gray, some of the walls are black marble. A pinch of gold in every corner only to flaunt wealthiness. The bed, the cupboard, even the ceiling lamp, they adapted a dark minimalist style. So unfamiliar, yet she was still trying to make up her puzzled mind.

Eyes sliding right to the see-through balcony door, Vionna saw a figure. A tall male was standing beside the railing, wine glass in one hand. He seemed so lost in the breathtaking scenery. She made an attempt to push her body up as the questions were all piled up in her head. She yowled, "Ahhh!" The pain that crawled over her body derived from her bandaged wound. The man, who turned out to be Hades, flinged his head over towards the sound source.

"Don't move yet. You're still recovering," he cautioned.

"Where am I? For how long have I passed out?"

"At my house. You've been unconscious for about three days-"

"Three?! Oh no my job… I could get fired. How about my parents, did they contact me? They must've worried," she asked, scrambling. Hades calmed her down with a soft voice.

"Don't worry, I already took care of it."

"What do you mean?"

He smiled, "I told your parents that their daughter is on an outing. And about your work, I've contacted your boss to search for a temporary substitute. Check your bank account, there should be a balance ten times worth your monthly wages. Consider it as an apology. Now you rest here until the wound heals."

Vionna responded "Okay then," with a disoriented look. "Feel like I forgot something…"

Hades stared at her, waiting.

"Right, Kane! Where's Kane?"

"Don't worry, he's downstairs with Sean."

"Your bodyguard? Wasn't the last time they weren't on good terms?"

He laughed, "Things have changed in the last three days. Now they're like lovebirds."

. . .

The other day before Vionna regained consciousness, Sean Cadby, known as the stiff man because he is usually not the most enthusiastic amongst other bodyguards, was treating Kane's wound. Cleaning and disinfecting every injury to prevent infection. On the other hand, Kane Roune, a walking whimsical teddy bear, was flinching too much. "Do you want your cuts to be septic? I can't continue if you're fussy like this." the bodyguard scolded. Kane felt the itch to tease him, "Oh, uhm… Sorry, Seby. I'll man up."

"What's the name supposed to mean?" Sean drew an eyebrow.

"It's an epitome for Sean and Cadby. Or Sean my Baby if you want to," Kane cried out in a flirtatious tone. His interlocutor was too stunned to speak. "Shut the fuck up," was all he managed to yelp.

While sitting beside Kane and his first aid box, Sean was gently applying ointment to his companion's face. His skin was smeared with bruises. In that moment, the uniformed man felt what people call compassion. The silence from being lost in their own thoughts spread throughout the room. Seemed like they were trying so hard to break it. Accidentally, the two of them spoke in unison, "I didn't know you could fight." Sean cleared his throat, "Of course, it's my job, dummy. I should be the one who asked you." "All I could say is life was hard back then, man." Kane uttered.

. . .

Rumbling noises are heard from Vionna's stomach. Two days have passed since she woke up, Hades has given her the permission to explore around. A scrumptious smell flowed right through her nostrils. Taking a few steps forward, she wondered, and finally entered a huge room she expected as the kitchen. "Hi, Sweetie. Looking for something?" Dressed in a white chef uniform, the man also wore a dusty pink apron while standing behind the kitchen set counter. "Yes, something to eat." Vionna stated in a dry tone. Clapping his hands, he startled her, "Congratulations, you've come to the right place! Take a seat!" She noticed the pastel nail polish he was using. This guy is really unique, she said to herself. His squeal snapped her back to the present, "I'll cook you a special meal since I've never seen you around this house before. What department are you assigned to? Like, the security, or cleaning, or maybe the kitchen?" She immediately gave a questioning look. The realization began to hit him, "Oh my God how stupid I am," he tenderly smacked his forehead, "You're Mr. Hades' guest. Pardon me, Ellon, head chef of this household, at your service!" She let out a small laugh, "Relax, no need to be so formal. I'm Javionna Belle, call me Vionna. Nice to meet you, Ellon!" The man sighed as a sign of relief. "Glad you're not one hell of a stuffy person. Wait there okay, girl? Your meal is almost ready."

After a few minutes, Vionna's eyes lit up seeing a bunch of lucious cuisine being displayed in front of her. "Here comes the appetizer, 'Steak & Blue Cheese Bruschetta with Onion & Roasted Tomato Jam'. For your main-dish, I've prepared a special 'Pork Chop with Fig and Grape Agrodolce'. Last but not least, your dessert 'Berries & Cream Trifles', please enjoy!" Ellon specified.

Feeling impatient, all the young girl wanted was to just devour the food right away, but there were so many eating utensils. With a slight hesitation, she took a fork with her right hand, and held a knife in her left hand. Watching her clumsiness with quite amusement, the chef corrected her. "That is not how you eat the main-course, honey!" He pointed out, "Swap the knife and the fork! Lemme show you the right way." Stepping closer to the girl, "Hold the knife using your right with your index finger extended down to the back of the utensil. Just like this, perfect!" he guided her. "Hold the fork with your left hand, pin down the meat and cut it using the knife in a back-and-forth motion. Finally, put the piece inside your mouth and pull it without showing your teeth. Very good! That's how you eat in a 'slay' way." This brunch session has turned into an etiquette lesson for Vionna. Munching a piece of pork chop in her mouth, she tilted her head. "Slay?" In a friendly fashion, he joked, "Not 'Slay?' but 'slayyy~' It's a trend." His actions managed to make the girl chuckle. "Sure thing, Ellon. I'll eat like this so I can slayyy!" The dining room was filled with laughter.

Bite after bite, Vionna attempted to eat her food the way Ellon taught her. In the middle of savoring the dishes, a girl wearing a black buttoned up shirt, suspenders, and formal trousers ambled past. "Ellon, where did you hide my food?" she asked with a cold voice. The chef hissed, "I didn't! How would I know? Search for it yourself!" Fretting as a sign of irritation. Vionna's eyes followed as she was opening the cabinets. Returning back from where she entered, a bag of potato chips and a one liter soda bottle was on her grasp. She smiled only at Vionna and gave a mocking expression for Ellon. "Who is she?" Vionna chewed out. Giving her a stern look, he replied, "Just another bodyguard who works for Mr. Hades. Why would you ask?" "I mean, she looks kinda cool and dashing," she said frankly. "Quinn? Cool and dashing my ass. Oh please, she's just straight up annoying for me. She didn't even try to be nice or something, just plain rude. Let me tell you a secret, one time, she was in a bad mood. Her toe stabbed a door and she fricking taekwondo-kicked it. Don't be like her, okay, honey?" He ranted, grumbling. The girl mumbled a response, "Okay now she sounds scary," and finished her meal.

. . .

Every open room, every known passage, every corner in Hades' luxurious mansion has been discovered by Vionna. She met a lot of workers, and was astounded by how everyone treated each other like family. Including Ellon and Quinn, they were like siblings who can't stop getting on each other's nerves. Tired of doing nothing, Vionna decided to go back inside her room. On her way, she encountered none other than her own best friend. "Oi, Vi! What're you doing?" He high-fived the girl. "Just wandering around, I got nothing to do." Kane was doing the same thing, exaggerated that he almost died of boredom.

"Don't you think this place is really amazing? You got a good catch, Vivi. He must be incredibly rich."

"Don't say it as if I'm a gold digger, you dum dum. But yeah, this house is more like a palace. I can't imagine how many years it will take for us to actually buy one of these."

He nodded in agreement.

All of a sudden, a glimpse of an idea came across the boy's head. "Wanna play Truth or Dare?" he suggested. Vionna protested, "Don't you think it'll be boring if it's just the two of us?" However, Kane didn't plan to go with only two players. "No no no, let's invite the others." Sounded like a good plan for Vionna. They cleaned up his room and girded up one's loins for the game.

When all of the participants arrived, some of their faces were overflowing with confusion. "Uh, Kane! I knew you had invited me to play, but I didn't know that this person would be here." Ellon pointed at the female bodyguard, Quinn. "You thought I want to play this shit with a no-jam like you? I'm out." She got up from her seat, on her way leaving the door before being intercepted by Kane. He whispered, "Hold up, you know you can take your own revenge on each other through this game, right?" persuading the sharp woman. "If you put it like that, fine. I'll make him suffer." Quinn mumbled.

"Oi! I heard that!" Ellon yelled, "Do you think I won't do the same?"

"Okay now that we've come to an agreement, I'll explain the rules." Kane announced to the whole room. Inside, there was him, Vionna, Quinn, Ellon, Sean, also Jonathan Blake known as Jodie. Vionna placed three bottles of vodka on the center table. The two male bodyguards were a bit shocked. Kane started explaining "So I have this empty soju bottle, don't ask me where it's from." "Where is it from?" Sean immediately wailed. With a sigh, Kane continued, "I stole it from the kitchen the other day, sorry Ellon. So anyway, when I spin this bottle, we'll wait 'till it completely stops. The person pointed by the nozzle will be the Truth or Dare receiver. Choose only one option. The person across the bottle's rear will be the questioner," he concluded, trying to avoid eye contact with the confused chef. Jodie prodded a question, "Then what are those for?" He pointed at the vodka. "Oh, whoever declines to tell the truth or do the dare, have to drink one shot from the bottle." Kane's further explanation sent Sean dumbfounded. "You didn't mention anything about drinking when you invited me!" He protested.

"Well now I did."

"No no, I'm not doing it."

Kane simplified it, "You could just accept all of the Truths and Dares, easy!"

The bodyguard only sighed and plopped back to his chair.

The game began with Quinn choosing Truth, and Jodie was the one in her opposite direction. He asked, "How was your first love story?" The woman gave a shocking reply, "So I used to like this dude. He was cool and famous, typical highschool crush, you know? But his behavior was crap, such a douchebag. He liked to humiliate other student, bullied them. I didn't really care at first, until one time I became one of his victims. He annoyed me so much, so I punched him on his cheek and stomach. The principal called me to his office and gave me detention the next day. It was worth it." Everyone was left speechless. "What kind of love story was that?!" Ellon barked, bewildered. "It's my story, why do you care?" Quinn returned, the chef rolled his eyes. "Oh come on, let's continue playing the game, guys!" Vionna whined, feeling dizzy dealing with the squabbling cat and dog.

Bottle was being spun again, Kane and Sean got their turn. The barista picked Dare because he was feeling somewhat brave. Sean just wanted to see the man across from him being drunk, so he went for an impossible challenge. Impossible for him, of course, but not for Kane. "Jump into the pool half naked screaming 'I'll do anything for Sean!' while Vionna records you!" he gave a sly smile without thinking the receiver would literally take his word into action. So he was surprised, seeing Kane took his own clothes off except for the trunks and ran outside the room. Everybody followed. Beside Hades' swimming pool, "Vivi! Make sure you're recording this!" He was in a stance, getting ready to run and dive. And so Kane screamed the words, making his way to the water. Popping his head on the surface, he winked at Sean, making the bodyguard discomposed. "What a lunatic."

They went back to continue the game after Kane dried himself and changed clothes. Apart from the occurrence earlier, all the questions and challenges that are complicated were skipped. Including the time where Sean was asked to speak up whether he has a crush or not and who it was. All of them were only half sober, except for Vionna and Quinn, each one because of different reasons. Vionna rarely rejected the commands. Meanwhile Quinn, her alcohol tolerance is unbelievable, even higher than Kane the boozer. The moment where Vionna has to accept an order came again.

"Dare," she chimed in.

Kane blurted softly, "Go find your sweetheart, Hades, and try to seduce him with a pick up line."

"Are you insane?"

"Yes. If you don't wanna do it, take the glass!"

The others prodded in unison, "Drink a shot! Drink a shot!"

"No! I won't be drunk tonight. Game on, where's Hades?" She grinned.

"Ooohhh, at this hour usually he's inside his workroom," Jodie answered teasingly.

She walked towards Hades' office, accompanied by two of her dear friends Kane and Ellon. They were not in the perfect condition to think straight but went along anyway.

Knock, knock. "Excuse me Hades, do you have a moment?"

Without any auditory response, Hades opened the door.

"Um, I can't find any Uber rides… Can I ride you, at home?"

The man standing in a fitting black shirt was left unnerved. Both the mates behind her laughed in satisfaction. "I'm sorry. We were playing a game, it's just a joke," she defended herself. The expression of the man in front of her changed as if disappointed, "I was zippy for a while," he pouted. Vionna bopped his shoulders.

"What game are you playing?" Out of curiosity, Hades asked.

"Truth or Dare. Wanna join? If you're not busy, that is."

Ellon and Kane incited him to participate, "Yeah, c'mon Sir Hades!" "Hades, let's go!!!"

"Don't mind them, they're drunk," she spoke up.

"I'm interested, let me in."

As a gentleman, he saw this as an opportunity to get to know her better.

. . .

Several hours have passed, Hades got drunk like the others. Funny how the men were already intoxicated. Barely two resilient ladies left clear headed. Because of the gossipy Ellon, Vionna thought Quinn was a fearsome and unapproachable woman. It was until she struck a conversation first. With a cackle, "You're friend, Kane, don't you think he's amazing?" Vionna gave her a puzzled gaze. "What do you mean by amazing?"

"The fact that he could make me play together with Ellon is amazing already. Then he even persuaded Sean to drink 'til he's wasted. Unbelievable."

"Does Sean really never drink alcohol?"

"Yeah, even Mr. Hades couldn't persuade him. That's why I'm surprised."

Vionna nodded in amusement. The awkward silence radiated so suddenly, the twenty years old girl felt really tense sitting beside Quinn.

"What's wrong?" the female bodyguard confronted.

"Huh? Oh, nothing."

With a sigh, "Ellon must've told you bad things about me. You don't have to believe it by the way."

"Hm, sure thing." Vionna agreed, smiling.

Startled, they heard Kane whining like he's about to throw up. "I think we should help settle them up," Vionna approached her tipsy friend, staring directly at his face. Quinn took Jodie's arm by the shoulder and accompanied him back to his dorm. Meanwhile Vionna helped Ellon, dragging him with such difficulty until he was laid on his bed. Pulling and seeing Sean along with Kane sleeping peacefully, the girls let them sleep together on Kane's mattress. They were already tired from carrying two grown up men across such a big mansion, until they realized Hades was also unable to walk back alone. The female bodyguard didn't think it would be appropriate to escort her boss with a sudden headache, afraid of something bad like slipping or falling. "I'll handle him. You can return to your dorm and rest," Vionna volunteered. Quinn delivered her gratitude and left with a migraine.

Making every effort to support Hades' firm body, they both walked to his bedroom. Passing the terrace, almost making it, Vionna couldn't help herself but to observe the man's exhausted face. She thought it was cute how Hades always showed his cool and manly side all the time, but at this exact moment he looked so fragile. She yelped when suddenly a hand reached her behind. Immediately shooting her face towards the guy beside her, she heard him mumbling incoherent words. "Vivi, you say you wanna… You wanna… Ride me?" He teased with a sleepy laugh.

"Hades, you're drunk." She smacked his arm.

But he was too lost, and couldn't think clearly. "I want you. Accompany me in bed tonight, 'kay? Mmmh…" He put a pouting face on, whispering, grips all over her body. At this point, Vionna had a dilemma. Who could blame her? Hades was like a deity being sent into her life. His face looked like it was carved by God himself. Not to mention, his body could make atheists call their lord. He was an art as if sculpted for a fine museum. Resisting a temptation similar to Eve being offered a forbidden fruit, it was not an easy matter. "Stop. Put your hands right where they belong, and let's get you to bed," she settled.

"But my hands belong inside your clothes."

"Quit babbling nonsense!" Trying so hard to hide her flustered face, she scolded the man.

"Ah, you're so…" And with that, a small snore was heard before he could finish the sentence.

Never imagined by her, this picture-perfect man could be comical, the needy type of drunkard. As soon as they arrived at the luxurious bedroom, she plopped him right to the delicate cotton surface. While she took a moment to breathe, he grabbed her wrist, eyes still shut. "Don't leave me, it's scary," he mumbled with a frown, in fear. "Stay by my side…" So she stayed for the night, hugging him tightly.