I'm back, baby.
Living With A Bunch of Myths is back on track!
Chapter 13
Cold Dependency
"If I have to sniffle one more time, I'm going to burn a building."
White snow. It was everywhere, it made everything harder to walk on, and it forced my attention on not falling on my ass and make a fool out of myself. It was freezing every limb on my body, forcing me to bundle up in warm, but restrictive clothes just to keep myself from dying. It constantly caused my nose to become numb, before itching aggressively, causing me to sneeze twice or thrice as tears blinded my eyes.
White snow. I despised it with all my heart. I hated it with a passion.
I glared at it. I glared at the snow with all my might, hoping that my burning gaze would melt the streets covered in snow. Passerby could only stare at the young man giving evil eyes to the scenery with caution, and my response was to throw the same look at them back. It was mean and disrespectful, but I was in a foul mood, so being tolerant was not in my to-do list at the moment.
The only people looking at me differently were the two women ahead of me. One was Kiara, who wore a beige cardigan with a light blue coat on top, looking at me with the same embarrassment a mother would give her child throwing a tantrum in front of everyone. The other was Botan, wearing her usual outfit, sending me a bemused look instead; as if the torture inflicted on me by this abomination of a weather was funny. First chance I get, I'm pushing her in the nearest pile of snow.
Her eyes narrowed as her smile widened. I creased my eyebrows further down. The urges grew.
"It's not even that cold, stop acting like a baby. Also, why a building?" The phoenix admonished, putting her hands on her hips. Botan raised an eyebrow at me, as if to ask for answers as well.
"Fire produces heat, it'll warm me up nicely." I muttered back, blowing hot air on my shaky hands as I rubbed them together. Even with gloves, my hands were trembling from the icy temperature. From the edges of my vision, I could see Kiara shake her head in dismay as Botan silently chuckled. "What are we even doing here? Why pick a harbor of all places?"
To leave New York, we had the chance to take a private jet, courtesy of Cover Corp. The food was amazing, the seats were fluffy, and the interior hid many pleasantries. If hunting for Myths was going to be always this luxurious, I didn't mind running across the world.
However, the cold reality - quite literally in fact - was that the private jet was only for the major travel. They couldn't just drop us at the mansion without being suspicious, so we landed at the nearest spot, Sitka Harbor. The food was gone, the ground was hard, and the exterior didn't hide its freezing nature. We hadn't even begun the search, and I immediately wanted to run back home.
Sitka had a decent population, and yet, felt compacted and tight. Cars, people, buildings, it was impossible to not catch a glimpse at an aspect of civilization. The sound of the ocean and boats clashed with those of the bustling city. It all gave the image of a small, but friendly community that stuck with each other through rough patches.
Not that I felt this friendliness, as I was busy making sure the cold didn't take my life force away. As far as I was concerned, we were all foreigners to them, and probably uninvited guests. That lovely attitude probably did not extend to outsiders like us, especially when one of those outsiders was looking down on their home with pure hatred.
It wasn't really the city that bothered me, it was what's falling down on top of it. From the pictures I had seen from Cover Corp, Alaska was a beautiful place. Sadly, cold temperature and me would forever be at odds. I was an avid believer of Summer, and would gladly wage war against Winter lovers.
"It's late afternoon right now, and even in April, night time still comes fast over here." Botan's voice drifted me away from committing war crimes. "If we depart here and now, we'll struggle in the mountains when its time to find that mansion. We may be Myths, but not all of us have night visions."
"That solves half of my question."
"We're heading for a hotel that our bird friend recommended. We'll depart tomorrow morning." She continued her explanation, rolling her eyes at my reply filled with snark as she jammed a thumb toward the bird friend. Kiara smiled at me as she gently swatted Botan's hand.
"I've traveled this world more then I can count, I know lots of fancy places."
"I wouldn't be surprised if you were a tourist guide at one point." I shrugged, the corner of my lips turning up. Kiara was the manager at KFP when Gura and I found her, so a tourist guide wasn't too crazy. Being immortal had its perk, but was probably incredibly boring. She must've changed jobs a thousand time, if not more.
I worked for 7 years at the same job, and never felt compelled to change routine, but could I say the same after having the same job for a hundred years? What about a thousand? Would I still be willing to work after living an eternity? Would I still want to do anything?
Immortality brought forth thoughts, and those thoughts were always tethered with a scary existential dread. Sure, immortality meant not dying, and living free of consequences. It also meant never being able to retire from work. It meant constant learning of new system and new standard for society. It meant having to constantly create new identities to avoid suspicions from others around you…
Immortality meant not dying. The problems it brought far outweighed the pros.
"Well, I hope we arrive soon. Otherwise, one of you is gonna have to drag my frozen statue to that hotel." I said with a sigh, fog rising toward the sky from it. If I was going to have a mental crisis over immortality, I at least wanted to do it in a warm room with plenty of blankets.
"Walk faster, and we'll get there sooner." Kiara concluded as she picked up the pace alongside Botan, forcing me to work my legs faster. First chance I get, I'm pushing her in a pile of snow too.
Soon enough, but not quick enough for me, we finally arrived at the hotel. It was warm inside, some people even taking off a layer. Not me, my body still had frost engraved in my bones. The architecture looked classy, probably worth a lot of money, but I couldn't tell through my commoner eyes. The main hall was spacious, room for sofas and tables with the reception at the far end of the the hall. The smell of food tickled my nose, probably from the restaurant next to the main hall. However, food wasn't as important as a-
"Room. A hot one, possibly with a volcano in it, and maybe a sun. I'll pay whatever you want." I immediately rushed to the desk, asking- no, begging to the receptionist to give me sweet release from the evil outside. His mouth kept changing between open and close as his pupils darted left and right looking for help. He was probably acting that way because of the words that spilled out of my mouth, or the speed that I had shown crossing the hall.
"Learn some manners, god. Do you hate the cold this much?" Kiara lightly slapped the back of my head as she stood next to me, Botan snickering at the situation behind us. "I'm sorry for my friend here. We'd like to reserve the room for three people for a single night, with two separate bedrooms if possible."
"That will cost you ext-" The person standing behind the desk tried to warn, but I stopped paying attention as soon as I noticed a fire place near one of the sofas. I took out the debit card that was in my wallet and slammed it on the desk in one swift movement.
"Whatever it cost, I'll pay. I'm going to be near the fireplace, feel free to spend as much as you like." I blurted out with haste to the two women beside me while my feet already moved towards the fireplace. I didn't hear whatever complaints or criticism from either of them, the flame was what mattered to me at the moment. I'm sure I'd regret the amount spent on one room, but those would be problems for Warm Hunter to deal with.
Plus, I doubt anything would dent the multiple zeros in my bank account.
As I approached the fireplace, hot air enveloped my body, making me shudder for a bit before I sighed with content. I could feel my fingers again, blood properly flowing through the extremities once more. There was the irritating feeling of my skin unfreezing itself, akin to a rubber band shrinking after being stretched to the maximum, but it didn't matter. Being able to feel sweat on my skin again, my body not shaking anymore, the damn sniffles disappearing, all of it was so worth it and the best feeling in the world.
Now that my brain wasn't busy with surviving from frostbite, my thoughts were more free to wander to the current situation. We weren't in Alaska for fun, after all. We were here to look for a possible Myth. The only clue we had was that mysterious Mansion in the mountains behind Sitka, and we only had three people to search for it. Kiara, Botan, and me.
Gura didn't come, or rather, couldn't come. Apparently, it wasn't allowed for a caretaker to "move this many assets" at once to foreign countries. It's why we had Botan, an extra hand given to us by Cover Corp to help us with the search.
The Shrimp…was not super happy about it. She was tad bit mad, and by a tad bit, I meant she threw a tantrum in the living room, almost causing a flood in the whole apartment.
We argued for hours, she pleaded her case for hours, I countered her arguments for hours. It wasn't a fun day for either of us. I felt like an asshole for leaving her behind while taking Kiara, especially since I met her first, but I had a simple, infallible logic: Kiara was a Phoenix. Gura was not.
The Myth we were looking for could apparently control ice. Of course, these were assumptions made by Cover Corp, but the fact that this Myth resided in Alaska of all place followed a certain logic that any idiot could put together. With that logic, bringing Gura, who could control water, against someone that could possibly freeze things? I didn't need to be a tactical genius to know that it was the perfect way to get our asses handed to us.
Meanwhile, a Phoenix was a being of fire. Against ice, Kiara was the perfect Counter.
That's not how Gura took it.
At one point, our arguments led to insults being thrown, and then to insecurity being uncovered. Gura hadn't been able to protect me against Enma back then. She hadn't done much when looking for Kiara. Now, she was being told to stay at home and play some video games while Kiara and I endanger our life looking for a Myth.
Gura felt useless. She hated feeling useless.
It took hours for Kiara and I to convince her that she wasn't. Sure, I got hurt against Enma, but that was because I acted recklessly against an opponent that far outmatched me. Sure, she may not have done any fighting while looking for Kiara, but she still did intensive amount of research with me to solve that mystery. She was still beside me during those times, and for that, I could never call her useless.
I did my best to assure her that it wasn't her fault that she was stuck staying behind, it was just poor match up. Sometimes, you had the right tools for a situation, and sometimes, you didn't. Sometimes, the tools you had simply benefited your opponent more than you, and it was just down to one shitty aspect of life: Luck.
Soon enough, we came to an agreement. She would sit this one case out, but the next case, she'd be the one leading it.
I would've loved to say that in the end, everyone was happy, but things were a bit muddied after that exhausting arguments. It's easier to say that you understand the what's happening than actually understanding. Gura was still in a bad mood about it, and I still felt like an asshole for leaving her behind.
Next case, I'll make it up to her. I needed to be a better caretaker.
"We got our room, and a very expensive bill. You wanna make out with the fire place some more before we head to our room?" Botan grabbed my attention with a pat on the shoulder, smirking at me.
"If it didn't burn, I'd do it in a heartbeat." I casually replied as I got up, earning a hearty laugh from the lion. I looked in the distance to see Kiara beckoning Botan and I with a hand. I waved back at her and headed for the corridor where our room supposedly was, Botan following me from behind.
One elevator ride and plenty of searching for the right door later, we finally managed to find our room, Kiara unlocking it and opening the door for us.
The room followed the same aesthetic as the entire hotel, and once again, I didn't care enough to notice the intricate details. My eyes immediately zeroed in on the blankets near the couch instead. In record speed, I managed to take off my shoes and coat and launched myself like a rocket at the blankets, crashing into them with a mute thump.
The room may have been warm, but it was still very cold compared to my trusty apartment. Thankfully, I had the perfect armor to fight it off this time. The blankets formed a cocoon around my body, with only my face being visible through the heavy layers of cloths. When Kiara and Botan looked back, one put both hands to cover her face, her groaning oozing with shame at the sight while the other was busy holding her sides from laughter.
"You're a grown man. You are an adult, right?" the Phoenix asked me with a level of exhaustion I thought wasn't possible. I narrowed my eyes at her.
"Judge me all you want, I'm not the one with fire power probably keeping her warm."
"And who said I had fire power?" she raised an eyebrow at that statement, heading for the kitchenette. Botan decided to sit on the single place sofa near my left.
"You're a Phoenix, it's safe to assume you can produce fire, right?" She replied, stealing my answer in the process. If Gura being a shark meant she could control water, logic would dictate being a Phoenix led to fire control at the very least.
"I can, but it's not like I'm a fire sorcerer or anything like that. I prefer other means of offense than just spewing flames left and right." Kiara confirmed mindlessly, busy pouring hot water inside mugs in front of her. Hearing that, I couldn't help but tilt my head to the side in confusion, knitting my brows together.
"Other means? Why not just incinerate everything that attacks you?" I questioned.
"Because producing fire uses energy, and that tires me out after a while. It's better to keep it for urgent uses only." She answered quickly as she headed toward Botan and I, holding three mugs of hot chocolate in her hands. I moved forward to grab one of them, mumbling a word of thanks to her. Botan simply gave her a grateful smile as she took hers with both hands, cupping it as she indulged in the warmth it created. "Besides…"
Kiara took a seat next to me, one mug in her hand as she raised her other one. Flames appeared in her hand in an instant, a wave of heat gently hitting my face at the sudden apparition of fire. I watched with wide eyes, awe overtaking my features as the flames in Kiara's palm licked greedily for oxygen to consume. With every twitch of her fingers, the fire danced in a different direction; like a puppeteer controlling a marionette.
"I don't enjoy using it like that." Her voice was hoarse, the words struggling to come out. The sudden change of mood beckoned my eyesight away from the magic in her hand, to her face.
Her lips formed a thin line as she drew her chin back; her forehead creasing with wrinkles as her brows furrowed. Her eyes reflected the light coming from her hand, giving them a new hue that wavered with each flicker of the flame. They were narrowed, brimming with sorrow. They were hazy, staring at the fire, searching for something inside.
The sight had crashed my brain. I had forgotten to breathe. I finally managed to blink after what felt like years. I could feel something rising from my chest as I moved my mouth-
The flame died as she closed her hand, the somber atmosphere disappearing alongside it. "Anyway, can we more details about this case?"
Kiara shot a reassuring smile, her eyes and expression back to the way they've always been.
I wanted to ask, even if the moment had passed already. Something in that smile stopped me, my chest tightening as I looked down on the floor.
The need to know faded.
"Sure thing. As you all know, the mansion we're looking for is in the mountains and forest near here." Botan began, taking the cue to change the subject like a natural. "Of course, the current theory we have is that there's a Myth hiding inside."
"W-why this mansion?" I lightly stumbled on my words as my brain finished rebooting. We were here for a reason. We had a Myth to find. "I mean, I looked at the pictures and it seemed normal to me."
One detail that constantly grazed my mind was the Myth and the mansion being connected. It was an odd place to build a mansion, but was it that odd that they had to assume it was a Myth straight away? For all they knew, maybe it was some rich billionaire indulging in some weird hobby that only a billionaire could indulge in. Botan's grin told me that she had figured out my line of thinking; with the perfect comeback to boot.
"If it was a normal mansion, no one would care. However, do you know of a normal mansion that gets built in less than a day?" She returned my question with another, earning a shocked look from Kiara and I.
"The mansion appeared out of nowhere?" Kiara muttered, uncertainty creeping up in her tone. Guess even for a Phoenix, a magical mansion was hard to believe. Not that I could fault her. If I didn't have the knowledge that I have now about Myths, I would've speed dialed the nearest Asylum to get Botan out of this room.
"That's right. When you ask the people of Sitka, they don't remember seeing a mansion there whatsoever. Furthermore, According to multiple witnesses, trying to enter the mansion would cause them to be knocked out by something, and then these same people would wake up somewhere in the city with no recollection of what happened." The Lion continued, taking a small sip of her mug after her lengthy explanation.
"I'm guessing there wasn't any wounded or death." I said, my guess being correct when I saw Botan nod. "So what's the plan?"
"Very simple: Tomorrow morning, we head for the mountains. I'll track the mansion, and once we're in, we'll try to convince whatever Myth in there to listen to us. If not…" She didn't need to finish that sentence for me to understand.
Kiara was willing to talk and hear me out, but that didn't mean every Myth were as willing and patient. Some would probably run away from us. Some would use self-defense to remove us…and the possibility that some of them could and would gladly use violence to make their point across was still strong.
I'd be helpless to stop it.
"Don't worry, Hunter. If anything happens, I'll protect you." Kiara comforted me with a playful shove, yet I could feel the sincereness from that statement. Maybe I wasn't hiding my fear of a fight breaking out properly if she could tell from just a glance.
However, after those words, something felt strange in my chest.
Botan would track the Myth, and Kiara seemed to be able to fight. Both would be of tremendous help during the search. I'd be in good hands. I had nothing to fear or worry.
Even then, I couldn't shake the doubt in my heart.
Why was I even here anyway?
"If I have to sniffle one more time, I'm going to burn a mountain."
Sleep had come fast due to our long trip, but morning came even faster. I only had time to eat a piece of toasted bread and some water, before a backpack was thrown in my face and got told to prepare. Before I could voice a single complaint, we were already outside heading for the vast snowy forest.
Thus, here we were, trekking through the snow, huffing and puffing oxygen as we spent all our energy. Well, I was. Botan and Kiara had no problem traveling, walking toward the goal at a good pace; almost as if the snow that was obstructing their path simply didn't exist. In comparison, I looked like someone who had ran around the harbor once or twice before going.
Each step required a surplus amount of effort that I wasn't used spending, the burning sensation in my legs reaching my thighs and lower back. I was drenched in sweat, my coat clinging to my skin. My lungs constantly demanded oxygen to be taken, only to scream even louder to let it out. My mind worked overtime to focus on each step I took, distracting myself from the cold and exhaustion I felt.
Somehow, I was keeping up with the two Myths in front of me. Or maybe they had slowed their pace for my sake. Seeing Kiara's furtive glance that she kept shooting me before returning her focus forward only furthered the latter. Botan didn't seem to notice my pathetic state, probably concentrating on her surrounding to track the mansion.
I was the caretaker, and yet, I was the one behind, struggling to catch up to the two of them. Another look thrown from Kiara only watered the guilt rooted in my chest. I was slowing them down. I was creating problems for them. I was completely useless.
Even in the cold, an uncomfortable heat formed in my stomach.
"Well, one thing's for sure, whoever lives in that mansion doesn't get out much. Or at all." Botan sighed suddenly, stopping as she looked around with a light glare.
"Don't we have, ah, any coordinates." I panted, taking the golden opportunity to rest and calm down my heartbeat. Kiara grabbed a bottle of water from her backpack, unscrewing the top before handing it to me. I nodded in gratitude, taking the offer and greedily drinking it.
"Nope. The pictures we had were taken from witnesses, and they don't have the tools to record coordinates. Hell, they barely remember where the mansion is." Botan shook her head, crossing her arms as she settled her eyesight on the ground beneath her. "So far, I've been following the tracks others have made looking for this mansion, but with the weather constantly changing, some of them have disappeared."
Botan was, in her own words, an amazing tracker. The fact that she was struggling spoke enough of the situation. Without her help, we probably would've been looking for weeks.
Without their help, I wouldn't have made it at all…
"I'm gonna go ahead and look for a new lead. You both stay here." The lion ordered, quickly moving away from us as she delved deeper into the forest.
"Didn't take her for the serious type during a mission." I mumbled as I let my back hit one of the tree, using it for support. The ground was inviting despite the cold snow, but I had a feeling that if I allowed myself to sit down, I wouldn't be able to get back up.
"People always change during serious times." Kiara, having heard me, replied with a shrug. Copying me, she used the opposite tree of mine to rest, staring at me with clear worry etched in her face. "Are you gonna be okay? You were breathing pretty hard back there."
"I'm okay now that I got to rest. I'd ask you the same, but you look pretty peachy for a girl power walking for two hours." I joked while doing my best to give her a smirk despite my fatigue, hoping to ease her mind.
During those hours, we hadn't stopped once for a break. Even when drinking water, we simply had continued to walk. The first half-hour wasn't too bad, but after the one hour mark, I had to ignore the voices in my head telling me to drop down and give up. One more hour of this, and my body would've listened to those voices without my consent.
"You have to stay in shape when you're an immortal like me. Can you imagine living an unhealthy lifestyle for eternity?" She chuckled in response, using her hands to point up and down at her figure.
"So you being a Phoenix has nothing to do with your physique?"
"Ugh, I wish. Apparently, being immortal doesn't include having a perfect figure forever in the package." She complained as she glanced up at the sky, one eyelid twitching with frustration. The sight made me snort.
"The more you talk, the more immortality loses its charm. Not that it had much of it to begin with." I said as I crossed my arms. Immortality was scary to think about, but it was supposed to have a few perks that made life a tad bit easier. To find out those perks didn't exist made immortality more of a burden than a gift.
"You tell me. Add the whole dimension hopping and it was a nightmare to deal with."
"Dimension…hopping?" I uttered, unsure if I had heard correctly. Kiara blinked at me with a tilt of the head, eyebrows raised up.
"Yeah, whenever I died, I would travel to another dimension." She repeated, waiting for me to display some level of understanding. Instead, I gawked at her. Her eyebrows rose further. "You didn't know?"
"This is a first for me! Most stories or legends of immortality usually don't cover something like that!" I yelled out in disbelief. What did she mean by dimensions? Brand new worlds? Or parallel universes like ours? Just the fact that she could hop between dimensions was enough to confirm that my world wasn't the only one in the universe, that other worlds existed.
More questions assaulted my brains, begging to have their respective answers.
"That's a first for me as well. I was sure your legends of Phoenixes covered that aspect. After all, other dimensions did." The phoenix explained calmly, putting a hand to her chin. "Then again, I guess my kind is too common in your world."
"Can you control it?" I interrogated immediately, curiosity taking hold of my being. Kiara smiled uneasily.
"Only recently. Before that, I had to deal with luck. When I did learn how to, I decided to come back to this world since I like it so much."
"Why Earth?" I couldn't help ask. If they were infinite worlds and dimensions, surely there was a better world than ours.
"Yours is peaceful." She simply stated, her demeanor becoming serious. "There's still wars and deaths, but compared to everything else I've seen, this one is the kindest."
The way she said those words made me pause my interrogation before I could throw another question.
I always thought the world was a cruel and disgusting place. People steal, cheat, and kill others for momentary reasons. Despite all of us being born equally, we assigned a hierarchy to keep specific people in check, while others get to live in privileges. Most of our pain and death was dealt by us fighting one another. We were monsters.
Yet, by a Phoenix's standard, a being capable of crossing dimensions, our world was the better of the lot. It was…hard to believe, let alone digest.
Peeking back at Kiara, she was busy gazing at the horizons; a content smile laid down on her face. Following her sight, I caught a glimpse of the lazy, radiant sun slowly rising in the sky.
It was a common sight in New York, always shadowed by buildings and smog. Without these things blinding it, the sun was able to rain down its rays of sunshine on the ground below. With no cloud in sight, it was free to display it's full might in the sky.
The two of us soaked in the view, letting the sound of nature reign free.
In that moment, Kiara's words were easier to accept. Unlike her, I hadn't seen other dimensions. Unlike her, I hadn't seen different type of conflicts. Unlike her, I hadn't lived for an eternity. For those reasons, I had no choice but to trust in her words.
It also made me realize that she had seen worst than what was here…
"Is it…hard?" I tried to ask casually, but lost my train of thought instead, ending up saying the first thing that came across my mind. Kiara turned her head towards me, one of her brow shooting up at my stupid question. "I mean…being immortal…seeing other dimensions and all that…does it ever get too difficult?"
Without moving, her eyes fell to the ground. While she probably pondered on my answer, I berated myself for asking such a dumb question. Of course It'd be hard, we're talking about immortality. Why even open up that can of worm? Why don't I ask which death was the most painful just to rub salt in the wound.
"It is." She swiftly replied after a while, making me cringe at the obvious. Before I had time to apologize, her gaze found mine, giving me a serene smile. "But it wasn't all bad. I made some beautiful and happy memories in my lifetime that I'll never forget."
"Some lives are harder than others, but they all taught me something. Even to this day, I meet new people and learn new things. I even have someone waiting to greet me every time I die, so even that aspect is less scary!" She spoke with a small chuckle, her eyes brimming with happiness. The sun finally found our position, lighting us with a surreal glow. "I've experience joy. I experienced anger. Love. Sadness. Pain. Life…and death."
"If you ask me, so far, I've lived a good, fulfilling life, don't you think?"
Kiara was amazing.
I already knew that she was a good person with all our talks, but this moment could only enhance my respect of her. I always imagined immortals to be cynical, bitter and sad, constantly wishing for death. Yet, here was a Phoenix, beaming at me, telling me that she enjoyed her life, despite everything she endured.
To have such a positive attitude in the face of it all, having to deal with the fact that she could never rest, was unbelievable.
Meanwhile, I couldn't even do my job properly-
"Found the mansion!" A voiced yelled at us in the distance, the two of us staring at the direction it came. Botan. She had found what we were looking for. I glanced back at Kiara before grabbing my bag and heading towards the lion's position.
"She wasn't lying about her tracking skills, she's good." Kiara praised as she followed me. I couldn't help but agree.
The two Myths were impressive. Either through physical talent, or mental prowess, they were strong people.
I was but a new, useless caretaker.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the mystery mansion."
After a short jog, we reunited with Botan, smirking at us as she stood in front of the mansion with both arms wide open. I looked behind her to scan it.
The mansion looked tall and imposing; having a second story and what looked like an attic from the outside. A light layer of snow had piled on the roof, but no stains or sign of age could be found. Made of dark wood and marbled stone, it contrasted the white snow around. The entire building felt out of place, like someone had drawn over a landscape painting. It looked brand new, as if someone had finished building it yesterday.
Squinting my eyes to see better, I noticed a faint trace of light shimmering behind the many windows. The house didn't seem connected to any electrical source, so it was probably lit by candles and fire.
For all intent and purposes, it looked abandoned.
"This is…" I began, but trailed off as I let myself slouch a tiny bit. I could only frown at the building, trying to find the right words.
"Not what you expected?" Botan offered with a sheepish grin.
"Disappointing?" Kiara tried.
"Confusing." I finished with the correct answer, earning a small sound of acknowledgment from the two.
My experience with Myths was still very limited, and so my expectations were never realistic. Logic and common sense simply didn't mingle well with beings like Gura and Kiara. One could control water and came from a city underwater, the other was immortal and could cross dimensions with each death.
Those same supernatural, mythical being would then pass out in an alley because they're too hungry, or manage a fast food restaurant. They'd sit at the table in my small apartment and would eat the same meal as me, casually striking conversation. They'd complain about the weather, gush about their favorite hobby, and get nostalgic over past memories.
Unpredictable, and yet reliable. They're existence were confusing to figure out, and if the fact that they were real would come out, chaos would break out in our world. Yet, I could relate to them, empathize, and laugh with all of them. Each of them were unique, but most importantly, each of them were human. The line between surreal and normality was blurry, and I could never choose a side without causing problems.
Hence, the mansion.
The fact that it looked clean and fresh was abnormal, but it could've been way worse. It could've had magic surrounding it, or looked alien, hell, I even imagined it had legs and arms at one point. Nothing was impossible in the realm of my imagination, and seeing it look so normal was soothing to the mind.
However, the image of the mansion hiding in the forest near the harbor just felt…wrong.
It wasn't supposed to be here. The silhouette, the materials, the colors, all of it offset its surrounding. Even the sun seemed to ignore its presence. I couldn't think of how or why it looked so out place, but I couldn't help glaring daggers at the building. It didn't belong there.
So there I was, giving a death stare to a building, confused.
"Kiara, take the lead, I'll cover our rear. Hunter, you get the middle position, be grateful." Botan commanded, sending me sly smirk my way.
"Be grateful of what?" I grumbled as I followed, moving toward the mansion with careful steps. All of us were on guard, scanning the area as we approached the main entrance.
The confusion of earlier soon faded to be replaced with dread. The closer we marched toward the mansion, the heavier my steps felt.
The witnesses had all fell unconscious after entering the place. Would the same happen to us? Would we end up back at the harbor with no memories of this place? Theories and scenarios swarmed my brain, making my heart race.
"Get ready." Kiara warned, grabbing the doorknob of each doors. Glancing back at us one final time, we all nodded.
She slammed the doors open with one push, immediately on guard against any incoming attacks. I steeled myself and hoped that whatever happened, Kiara and Botan could handle it.
We stood in front of the entrance for what felt like hours, waiting for any sign of…anything. The wind engulfing the entrance was the only sound in my ears. The light of the outside bathed the place, displaying the foyer in all it's glory.
Kiara walked inside, Botan and I following suit.
The foyer was enormous, the entire space devoid of objects and furniture. Only a stairway divided in half stood in the middle end of the room, leading to the second floor. carved in the floor was an intricate pattern that screamed high class. Hung above was a massive chandelier almost covering the entire ceiling, it's light illuminating the darker areas of the foyer that natural light couldn't.
Each step taken echoed relentlessly inside the mansion. Each breath I took heightened the fear budding in my chest. Each gust of wind from the outside sent shivers down my spine. Yet, nothing could beat the alarms blaring inside my head.
I wanted to leave. I wanted to get out. I wanted to run.
The entire area was empty, devoid of any signs of life. Even with all the lighting, the lonely atmosphere still hung to the walls. No one lived here.
But the warnings in my head only resonated louder.
Every shift of my eyes sent the shadows swimming in the corner of my videos dancing, constantly making me look back to reconfirm my sanity. My heart thumping in my chest rang in my ears with reckless abandon. My breathing became shaky. my brows were full of sweat. My teeth clacked with each shivers.
I was afraid.
Something was present.
My life was in danger.
The only reason I hadn't already left the premise was because of the two Myths following me. None of the symptoms of fear affected them, but they kept their guards up.
Their eyes roamed the place just as much, if not more than mine.
Botan's ears on her head twitched every two seconds, trying to locate what and where each noise was.
None of us had spoken since entering, all reading the tense atmosphere. I didn't dare utter a single sound - not that I could anyway.
We all stood in the middle of the foyer, almost huddled against one another as we analyzed each elements.
My emotions were at an all-time high-
"boo~"
My body jolted as I let out what felt like a squawk and a gasp, the two crashing in my throat in a mess before coming out as garbled nonsense.
Kiara's head snapped behind to stare at me with wide eyes, her mouth forming the shape of a small circle. I smacked a hand on my mouth; the impact so hard it probably would leave a small imprint on my skin. My eyes threatened to come out of their socket as I stared back at Kiara.
Silence.
A nasal laughter broke through.
Botan was holding her stomach, bent over as she squeezed out every drop of laughter she could. Her voice rang loud and clear inside the foyer. Sometimes it switched to wheezing or coughing, followed by the loudest intake of breath I had heard in my life; the laughter repeating right afterward.
"Y-you…you fucking…" I whispered with disbelief, my head mechanically turning toward the laughing lion behind me.
In such a serious situation, this woman decided that whispering in my ear while jabbing her fingers in my nape was the correct decision to pull.
"I-I-I can't, ah, god, I can't b-breathe, Haha-" She exhaled out through her hysterics, holding herself from falling by grabbing one of my shoulder.
A giggle reached my ears.
I twisted my head to look at Kiara, who was looking the other way with a hand covering her mouth. Her body shook with each giggle that spilled out, her effort to hide it getting weaker.
Blood rushed to my face.
"You two SUCK!" I howled with embarrassment clear in my tone, glaring at the two. Both were sent spiraling in even more laughter.
The previous atmosphere that had a clawed grip over my soul vanished. I was so embarrassed and frustrated at the two. Here I was losing my mind and fearing for my damn life, and the two of them were messing around like a bunch of teenagers. This was a serious moment, and had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I looked like a complete ass!
Next case, I'll only bring Gura with me.
"I-I'm sorry, ah, you just seemed so scared that I couldn't help myself." Botan chuckled a few more time before standing back up, looking at me with a wide grin on her face. I was seriously thinking of punching that grin off her face.
"I was scared! You scared me! I thought my heart was gonna splat at the other side of the room, you dumbass!" I shouted with annoyance, gritting my teeth as I looked down on the ground. I wasn't hiding the blush that was spreading on my face. I wasn't!
"Well, a-at least you got it out of your system, right?" Kiara said with a smirk.
"Screw you too!"
The doors behind us slammed shut.
The cheery vibe died out immediately as we all looked back, startled. The fear came back, although not as strong as it used to be. The two Myths took a step closer to me, protecting me with their bodies as they scanned the foyer.
"The hooded people, then the villagers, and now this? I didn't ask for much, and trouble keep knocking on my doorstep, somehow."
The temperature grew colder. The lights vanished, plunging the room in darkness. My body trembled.
Blueish light faded in all around us in the air. Soon, ice began to take shape inside the lights, becoming bigger and sharper. Crackling noise could be heard as the ice formed. Soon enough, the light disappeared, its job done creating pointy icicles. The icicles peacefully floated in the foyer, pointed toward us as stream rose from the layer of frost covering them.
We were surrounded.
My eyes caught the figure of a woman standing near the stairs.
A blue and white overcoat loosely hung on her shoulders, a sleeveless white dress beneath. Long, light blue hair draped over her form, an exotic-looking flower latched on the side of it.
She had Pale skin. pointed ears, and golden irises.
She was a Myth.
"I'll have to be harsher. Leave this place, or die." She threatened with irritation laced in her words, her chin rising up as she looked down at us.
Her eyes seemed to glow in the dark.
I couldn't breathe.
I took a step back as Kiara and Botan took one forward.
There was nothing else I could do.
