Chapter 20: Braid

Rueben had been wandering around the halls for who knows how long already, but judging from how his stomach wasn't rumbling with hunger and how his wasn't really that thirsty for water, it was safe to say that not that much time had gone past.

Yet the amounts of rest, wandering that both he and Sara had gone through was many, he had even had thought that weeks had passed by.

Yes, Hunters or rather, anyone who have the God's Blood within their veins experience an effect that made them somewhat immune to hunger and thirst. But that effect could only last so long, the last time he didn't eat nor drink was 1 week straight before his body broke down and exhausted itself without energy and nutrients to support the amounts of energy that he consumes every day.

This made him wonder how many days had really gone by.

But without pocket watches, he was only stuck here wondering how long has it been.

"Sara, how much do you know about this cellar?"

Sara looked at him silently for a while, utterly confused at the situation that she was suddenly brought in.

"What do you mean, Rueben? What's a cellar?"

Rueben forgot that she was first a 6 years old young girl when he first met her, though her body aged, her mind didn't and many common knowledges was not taught to her.

He proceeded to explain to her what a cellar was and it took a while before Sara finally got the concept of it.

"Not much. I've never been this deep into this place before because I was scared by those people catching me."

Seeing that he couldn't really get that much information, he suddenly felt that he should rely on the dolls.

He had found 2 dolls, Jun and Jamaica and Jun gave him tons of information while he wasn't able to get any information from Jamaica because he was suddenly attacked.

He felt that it was a vital information but he really had no way to go back in the past and he also don't have anyway to locate the rooms that the dolls were in from Jun's memories. Yes, he knows what room they are in but he doesn't know where that room is, that was the problem.

He knows where they are but he doesn't know how to look for them.

"This cellar… No, its inappropriate call this a cellar anymore with how large this place is. Despite all that, it seems to stretch even further. Either this place is magically controlled by some unstoppable force that I cannot comprehend or some kind of monster is doing this."

His eyes narrowed into a slit, fully knowing how long it will take to find the being capable of doing this. With its unending hallways and diverging paths, it seemed to be a labyrinth designed to trap anyone who dares to venture within.

He felt that his chances of escaping this place was as thin as a piece of thread or string created by a spider. Like a rope that would break if he held on to it for any longer.

Seeing Rueben getting uncomfortable, she looked at him before hugging him. She thought of many ways to make him calm and relaxed, this method was one of them.

Feeling the hug coming from a young teenage girl, he looked at her, then sighed. "Okay, you can let go of me now, Sara."

Sara looked at him straight in the eyes, seeing that he had relaxed and had come out of that uncomfortable state, she smiled proudly and nodded her head, she stayed like that for a few seconds before reluctantly letting go because Rueben was getting uncomfortable with her hug that lasted way too long.

"Thank you."

Rueben, fully knowing that Sara did that for him, smiled and softly caressed her head. He then realized something after touching her long hair again.

"Do you know how to braid your hair?"

Rueben asked to which Sara confusedly responded, "What's a braid?"

'I really should teach her a few things that are not Hunter related.' He thought to himself.

He gave it a thought to explain it in the simplest way possible and said, "Its like decorating your hair using your hair."

But that explanation only gave Sara more confusion than before. She could not comprehend the concept of using your hair as a decoration for your hair, wouldn't that be weird?

She looked at Rueben with narrowed eyes, suspecting that he was trying to make fun of her or joking with her but seeing his sincere gaze, she really couldn't help but feel that what this man had said was serious.

She frowned and started thinking, using her entire brain cells to comprehend the madness of using one's hair as a decoration for one's own hair. Her eyes started spinning as she did so.

Seeing that she really didn't understand, probably because his explanation really didn't explain anything and only made more confusion, he told her to sit on his lap as he touched her hair.

Sara just obediently sat on his lap as Rueben made three strands of hair, "This is what a braid is."

He handled her hair gently because he didn't want her to feel pain of having your hair pulled. Rueben genuinely wanted Sara to enjoy her short youth before she grows again into a young woman.

He then intertwined the 1st strand, then the next, then the last before repeating again.

Sara just looked over as she saw that her hair was forming into a neat and clean hairstyle.

It took a while to finish but after Rueben was done, she looked at the braid that made her neck feel cold and her eyes started twinkling. She happily smiled and touched her hair.

She was really happy at how it looks, she hopped around and asked Rueben, "Can you teach me how to braid?" Her eyes shining with stars as she asked.

Rueben chuckled and patted her head, "Of course."

Hearing his answer, she cheered and started hopping around in delight. She was really happy at how free her hair was now, back then, every time she tries to move, it would make her hair fly around but now, although it was still flying around, it was more controlled.

Rueben looked at her then thought, 'She would be far cuter if she had short hair…'

But he kept these thoughts to himself as he followed after the overly excited Sara hopping around in joy.