Yey! Examinations are done so here I am updating my story.

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Please enjoy reading this chapter

Chapter 12

Riding a carriage, Shade is currently in his journey in search for the red-head princess. The feeling of excitement and nervousness are mixing from the thought of seeing her.

'Is she going to be happy when she see me again? Or is she going to be mad at me for leaving her without saying goodbye? I guess the latter has the highest chance to happen. Well, I deserve her ranting in the first place for I was being stupid.' Shade heave a sigh as he placed his left arm by the window.

Without a mask and a band in his hair, he now looks pretty normal. Will she be able to recognize him? 'Of course she won't. I need an introduction…' He thought and rehearsed a few lines in his mind. He then imagined what face she will make if he introduced himself as the "Shade" she was with months ago. Maybe she'll be surprised or disappointed? He chuckled when an image of fuming red-head popped out in his mind.

Shade was dismissed from his thought when the carriage stop in front of a forest. Shade stick his head out from the window and look in front. Five people were wearing an armor and weapons like sword and dagger were on their hands. Curious, he went outside to ask them what is happening.

"Um, excuse me. May I know what is going on?" Shade asked eyeing the weapons in their hands. They look at him with confusion and later realized what he meant.

"Didn't you know?" Shade just looked at them with scrunched eyebrows. They looked at each other and shrugged.

"It is almost four months back, monsters like goblins, griffins and dragon-like creature started appearing. According to some people we met, someone might have open the gate of the Domus Monstra which was sealed hundred years ago by princess Grace. If I remember it correctly, that gate is in the castle located at the top of a mountain. No one bothered to go there for large creatures are seen flying around." A guy with green hair started.

Shade was dumbfounded at what he had heard.

'How did this happen? Almost four months? That was when I was still wandering in the forest and met her… when I decided to go back to my kingdom and leave her…' He thought as he begin to look pale. He remembered when he first met Fine. She was crying and trembling in fear when she told him that she was brought to a castle at the top of a mountain by a monster.

'So it must really have to do with her. If these monsters are still lurking, they might not have found her yet. There's a probability she's not home yet if they encountered numerous of them. She must have stumbled in a town with her sister.' He deduced.

Receiving no reply from Shade, the only girl in the group with bright orange hair spoke in her cheery voice breaking the silence.

"We started killing some of them, trying to reduce their number. We also slashed their fangs out to make money. You can find more like us in a town called Meth. It was the closest town in the forest and hunters started to live there. Oh yeah, we are currently living in that town! Hehehe. But our home is in here. We just visited our family and give them what we earned~"

"I'll go with you. Let me just get my things in there." Shade declared. The hunters look at him, surprised by his sudden decision.

"Okay." One of them replied.

Shade went back to the carriage and grab his sword. He brought his backpack that contains herbs and other things he thought he will need and hoisted it on his shoulder. Before leaving, he told the coachman to go back to their kingdom and warn the people about the said forest.

Shade walked towards the hunters. All of them smiled at him, welcoming the new member of the group.

"So, what's your name?"

"It's Shade."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Auler and these are Ki, Souji, Mui and the only girl, Kara."

"Hi. Thank you for letting me come with you."

"Nah. It's not a big deal. The more the merrier!" Kara cheerfully replied.

"Let's go?" Ki asked. They nodded and all went into the forest.

"So Shade guy." Souji went to Shade and put an arm around him while the latter just arched an eyebrow for the action of the former. "What made you come with us? Do you also want to feel the thrill fighting those monsters?"

"Ahh, that's not it. I just want to confirm something."

"Hey, hey. You said to confirm something? You think we're liars? There are really monsters in this forest!" Mui started in rage.

"No. It's not like that. It's not what you think."

"Then what?!"

"*sigh* You see, I am looking for someone. I just want to know if she already got home or might've stumbled somewhere after we got separated."

"Is that someone a girl?" Kara asked as her eyes sparkled.

"He said 'she' you idiot." Souji replied with a bored look plastered in his face.

"I'm not talking to you so will you just shut up!?" The two glared at each other.

"Sorry Shade. It might be new to you but those two fighting is already normal in this group." Ki, the oldest of the group, apologized.

"I'm sorry too Shade for getting mad earlier!" Mui said with raise hands and shut eyes.

Shade just smiled as a sweatdrop formed in his face.

'This group is a bit of eccentric. But it might not be bad to be with them for a while.' He thought as he look at the group.

1 week later-

"Fine! Wake up, wake up! Isn't it today?"

"Hmmmm, what?" Fine mumbled with her eyes still closed. She turn to the other side of the bed with her back facing her sister.

"It's our shopping day! Aren't you excited?" Rein said as she twirled in excitement but receive no response from her twin. She peek at her sister and realized she was back to sleeping. A vein popped in her head and pulled the cover from Fine.

"H-heyy! What's wrong with you? You're ruining my sleep."

"But you slept early last night! Isn't it enough already? Get dress now or we will not buy you any cakes."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm up." Fine stood up, irritation is written all over her face. Rein looked at her twin triumphantly and leapt happily towards their shared closet.

Fine wore a simple mid-length burgundy dress with a black knee-high boots while Rein wore the same dress and boots but in color blue and elaborated with laces.

"Come on Fine. Bright must be waiting for us." Rein drag Fine

"He agreed to come with you?"

"Of course! Isn't he a gentleman? He said that a man should escort a lady even in a time like this."

"Can't you just go out with him already? So you won't bother me anymore about shopping."

"W-w-what are you saying? Shopping with you is more fun! A-and it's not like his sharing the same feelings with me." Rein said blushing in deep red.

"Yeah? I don't think so. Isn't it obvious that he likes you too? Go and confess your feelings for him."

"H-hey! Don't say it out loud. He might hear you! He's living with us remember?"

Fine rolled her eyes and walked towards the door. Rein followed. When the door was flung open, both twins gasped when the boy they were talking about was now in front of them.

"Uhm, hello." Bright greeted.

"Bright! Did you hear?" Fine begin asking as she put her left hand in his right shoulder.

"Ahh, about what?"

"Have you been there outside our room for a long time?" Rein asked putting her right hand on Bright's left shoulder.

"N-no. I just came here and was about to knock when the two of you open the door."

The twins sighed in relief as they verified he was clueless.

"Never mind us Bright! That was just us acting what we have read last night. A-ha-ha. Right Rein?" Fine said with a fake laugh, walking past at him.

"Y-yes! What book is that again Fine? We should recommend it to Bright for him to read also. A-ha-ha." Rein said doing the same as her twin. Bright just look at them puzzled but shook it off and followed the twins.

Reaching the center of the town, they went shop after shop and bought some clothes and food. They also visited a bladesmith and bought new weapons they will need in fighting. It was midafternoon when they finally got back to their house. They all rested in the living room for a good thirty minutes.

Fine peak at the clock and saw it was half past three. "Yay! Snack time~" She declared and dashed towards the kitchen with the cake she bought in her hands. She sliced the cakes into eight pieces and put a piece in each three plates. Rein and Bright followed in the kitchen. They look at Fine who is happily preparing their afternoon snack and smile at each other. They stared at the piece of cake Fine had set for the three of them in the table and place themselves to their respective seat.

When they were about to take a bite, a commotion outside was heard. The three of them run to the door to look what is going on outside. They saw people running towards the forest and some are shouting. Bright stopped a man to ask what is happening.

"A herd of monsters were surrounding a group of people. One of them luckily escaped and hurried here to ask for help to rescue the others." The three, hearing about this, went back inside the house. They grab their weapon and headed to the forest.

They looked in disbelief when they arrived at the place. They weren't expecting the number of monsters in front of them. They were outnumbered by them and other people were already injured and taken back by others who are still in form.

"Fine, you should just went home now. Those creatures, they'll sense you are here." Rein said as her grip on her sisters shoulder tighten.

"Heck no! I can't just leave the two of you and those people here to keep myself safe. I'll help okay?" Bright and Rein looked at Fine with worried face. The girl just smiled at them sadly.

"I know that you will never let them have me so I trust the two of you but please, trust me too." They looked at each other and nodded. Bright went and asked the people who're going back to call on more persons. They nodded and went off. He soon joined the twins who are now fighting monsters.

Not soon enough, monsters sensing the presence of Fine started to increase. The three knew about it as more of them start heading towards the girl yet they didn't let it falter them. Busy fighting the monsters in the ground, they didn't spotted a flying creature aiming now to the red- haired girl.

Fine noticed a shadow getting closer to her and looked above. She gape in horror when she saw a griffin flying, aiming for her. She can't defend herself for she is holding off a monster in front. She's now in a pinch. She looked at both of her side and saw the other two were also in a difficult condition.

'There's no way I can escape now.' She shut her eyes helplessly waiting for a sharp claw to grab her but there's nothing.

A sword slashed and a loud thud was heard by her. She slowly open her eyes and stared in shock at the now dead monster and griffin in front and behind her.

She looked at the person in her side and met the gaze of a man. Red eyes locked with amethyst ones. Her eyes soften as his feature is awfully reminding her of someone she misses a lot.

"Shade." She finally muttered.

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