Atherion

'I was kidnapped?' Kimi frowned. He probably didn't mean me…

"You mean, Cameli Va..Va…"

"Camelia Valois," he answered briefly.

Kimi sat silently, lost in thoughts. She didn't understand, did she transmigrate to another world like she read in those novels? 

'So I entered someone else's body, whose name is Camelia Valois? Ugh, in novels, usually the MC transmigrates into a story they know. But I don't know anything!'

She looked at the man and asked, "Why did you kidnap Camelia… ah, no, kidnap me? What's your name?"

The man's red eyes glinted in the sunlight. His overall appearance was breathtaking. He answered. "My name is Atherion. You don't need to know why I kidnapped you."

He lifted his head and glanced to the upstream.

Kimi frowned and asked again in annoyance, "Why shouldn't I know?"

Atherion remained silent, staring upstream with a cold expression. 

"Hey, did you hear my question?" Kimi stood up with difficulty because her feet were caught in her dress. She almost stumbled.

Atherion glanced slightly at her and looked back upstream.

"We have to get out of here. Now!" he said suddenly. He lifted and carried Kimi easily, running quickly towards the horse tied to the tree.

"What are you doing?!" Kimi screamed in surprise. Her body bounced in his arms, and she had to wrap her hands around his neck.

Atherion didn't answer, but soon a loud hissing sound came from the direction of the river. Kimi's eyes widened, and she saw a very large snake chasing them.

The snake was jet black and about fifty meters long. Its yellow eyes were focused on Kimi and Atherion, and it moved very quickly.

Kimi's eyes widened. She had never seen a snake that big and fast before.

"What is that?!" she shouted as they reached the horse, her eyes glued to the snake with horror.

Atherion did not answer. He quickly put Kimi on the horse and untied it. Then he got on and spurred his horse fast, away from the snake. She had to hug the horse's neck to keep herself from falling.

Kimi was even more shocked when Atherion's horse sped away very fast, leaving the big snake far behind them. Eventually, the snake looked like a small dot in the distance.

Atherion kept spurring his horse until they reached a cave and stopped right in front of it. The cave was big enough for the two of them plus the horse.

Atherion got off his horse and asked Kimi to stay on it. "Stay on the horse," he said briefly.

Kimi could only obey, she was still trembling with fear and amazement.

Atherion entered the cave, and soon a roar was heard. Then it stopped. Long silence followed.

He came out and led his horse to enter the cave.

Kimi, who was still scared, still hugged the horse's neck tightly. Her eyes were closed.

When Atherion pulled her hand slowly from the horse's neck, Kimi opened her eyes. She did not object and let him put her down.

He pointed to a corner and said. "Sit there."

Kimi nodded. She walked to the corner and then sat down.

Atherion went out again, and not long after he returned carrying dry twigs and wood. He lit a fire on the ground.

After the fire was lit, Kimi saw a large bear lying behind him.

"Aaaa ...!" she exclaimed while pointing at the bear.

"He's dead," Atherion answered in a flat voice. Then he got up, approached the bear's corpse, took out a small knife from his belt, and began to skin the bear with fast and precise movements.

Kimi could only stay silent and widen her eyes at the sight in front of her. She had never seen anything like what Atherion was doing now. It was a gruesome sight. Unconsciously she let out silent tears.

Atherion, who had finished skinning, glanced at Kimi and only frowned for a moment. Then he took some twigs, cleaned them with his knife, and stabbed the twigs into the meat of the bear he had killed earlier before putting it on the campfire.

Not long after, the aroma of grilled meat filled the cave. Kimi, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly jolted when she heard the sound of her stomach rumbling. She stared hungrily at the meat that Atherion was roasting.

When some were cooked, Atherion handed one of the skewers to Kimi. Kimi just stared at the meat. She had never eaten bear meat, and seeing the corpse that was also in the cave with them, made her nauseous.

Atherion ate his share and ignored Kimi.

Finally, Kimi couldn't hold back her hunger and tried a bite of the meat.

"It's delicious," she said with a stunned face and ate it all. Atherion glanced at her while still eating his meat.

"Can I eat some more?" Kimi asked, pointing at the meat still being grilled. Atherion nodded and then handed Kimi the skin flask.

Kimi accepted it and then drank its contents. Luckily, she had seen the skin flask in movies, so she knew how to open the lid.

Kimi gobbled up the meat again. When she was full, she leaned against the cave wall in satisfaction.

Atherion asked her. "How come you forgot who you are?"

Kimi stared at him, considering whether this man could be trusted.

'But he had saved me several times earlier,' she thought.

Finally, she answered. "Because I suddenly found myself in this body. And I'm not Camelia Valois as you said earlier."

Atherion furrowed one of his eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

Kimi sighed. "My name is Kimi. I come from a world where there are few forests and wild animals. There are many tall buildings in the city where I come from. Technology is also more advanced…"

"Technology?" Atherion asked.

"Technology is… ummm, science, knowledge, and so on," Kimi answered while scratching her head.

"Oh, okay. Then where is Camelia Valois?" Atherion asked again.

Kimi stuttered. She didn't know why she entered Camelia's body, let alone where the host had gone.

"I… I don't know…" she answered weakly.

Atherion stared at her silently for a few moments.

"Okay, I believe you," Atherion said.

Kimi's eyes widened and she got up. "Really? Really? Thank goodness."

"But I don't know what world you're talking about," Atherion said again in a flat voice.

Kimi smiled broadly. "It's okay. Besides, here you still use swords, and in my world we already use firearms. Ah, nevermind. You wouldn't understand anyway."

Atherion frowned at Kimi's words.