18: Chaos

No way.

All I could do was gape at the empty lot that was just before our eyes.

"Seriously?" I muttered. I just can't believe it, all of the minutes--or even hours--of walking and running only brought us to something like this useless empty lot? I thought we were going to a cabin in the woods or something else, as long as it can keep us away from the so-called Fiends the guy was talking about.

But all he was just talking about was an empty lot!

I threw a harsh glare to the guy first before I completely stepped out of the trees and to the empty lot before my eyes. "Are you really sure that this is the place that you're talking about?" I asked the guy once again. His stare landed on me for only a second, then roamed his eyes around the empty circular lot as he pocketed his hands. "Well, what d'you think?" He breathed out with a shrug.

I was just about to say something else when I felt something strange. I didn't know what it was, but I was certain that I actually froze for a moment there as my head throbbed. It was like something just... went inside me.

Then, I blinked.

"I think we should go back." I flatly told him out of nowhere, and I was shocked. It just slipped out of my mouth without my mind even telling my body to do it. The next thing I knew, I was already making way back to the forest, walking. I caught glimpse of the man who was just staring at me with a grin making its way to his lips.

I bet he was making fun of me inside his head. But heck, was the fact that my body was moving on its own a joke? Did he know that something like this would actually happen in the first place?

Sheesh! This guy!

I was already a few steps away from him and I kept on trying to stop myself from walking. I tried to speak out, and I also tried to glare at the man for knowing all about this. I tried my best to make my body listen to me. But it just didn't, I just didn't. I felt like a marionette being controlled by a puppeteer.

I already passed by the man when he unexpectedly grabbed my forearm and pulled me back, making me bump into his chest. Then he wrapped his arms around me tightly. Surprisingly, I found myself pushing the man away from me. I just found myself struggling in his arms without me even demanding myself to do it.

My body was moving on its own will, and I didn't know how and why. 
I heard him groan, "And you're already affected by the haze." He uttered out. "I'm pretty sure this isn't going to be easy for you."

I wanted to furrow my brows and ask him why, but of course I wasn't able to do it. "But don't worry, what is happening to you right now will only last for a few minutes. The haze took control over you, its something that protects the Coterie from outsiders like you." He even tightened his arms around me because my movements were becoming more aggressive. I actually found the situation awkward since we were too close to each other.

"Don't think I'm taking advantage of you right now. I'm only stopping you from unconsciously walking aw--" He wasn't able to finish his sentence since my body suddenly pushed him away with too much force that he accidentally removed his arms around me. I felt my body turning around and walk. Really though, I wasn't even controlling a single part of my body!

In a matter of seconds the man appeared in front me. He let out an exasperated sigh as he pulled out something under the collar of his shirt.

A necklace with a letter "S" as its pendant.

I was sure I already saw that necklace before. It looked so familiar to me.

I was still thinking about that necklace he had when I suddenly felt him pushing me. I just found my body walking backwards, sometimes even stumbling back, until we were already completely out of the trees and in the area of the lot. My body attempted to go back once again but the guy slightly pushed me back.

I swear, I must be looking like an idiotic woman right now.

He grunted, "Come on. Can you please just... stay where you are?" He spat out, moving my body back in front of him with his hands grabbing my shoulders. "This is why I really hate the haze." I heard him mutter as he took hold of the pendant of his necklace. He raised it until it was just right in front of his lips, then closed his eyes.

And if I could totally control my own body right now, I swear my eyes would go wide once again.

The pendant glowed a purplish light when I heard the man whisper something to that S pendant.

"Amatistus..."

That was when everything that surrounded us began to change. Everything started to run in cirlces around us as if we were inside a tornado, from a low speed, it became even quicker that the wind was making my hair fly to all directions. If only I could really control my body right now, I wouldn't be just standing there like an idiot, I would surely scream my heart out and panic. But then I noticed the guy who was actually right in front of me.

He just stood calmly there, with his eyes closed and hair flowing perfectly along the wind even though the force was actually rough. For a moment, I was just observing him. I didn't know his features were actually really attractive. Pale skin, beautiful lashes, straight nose, concrete jaw, and full lips. His jet black hair was also quite long but still looked adorable by the way it looked so soft. The wind was pushing his jacket back, revealing his slightly built body underneath his white shirt.

My train of thoughts was suddenly stopped when the wind stopped surroundung us in circles.

And for the hundredth time, if only I could control myself now, I would surely scream my heart out and panic.

Well, who wouldn't be?

Who wouldn't be if in a blink of an eye the empty lot that we were just standing on awhile ago suddenly turned to something that I-- that I... I don't understand!

What I was seeing was a really huge mansion in the middle of the lot covered with greens and flowers. Everything was nicely cut and located to form a place that would almost pass for a world class villa. There were also lamps following the stone pathway toward the manor in the middle

As a matter of fact, I saw all of those just beyond the gigantic gate in front of us. The villa was surrounded with tall stone walls, leaving this huge metallic gate for the entrance.

I was just staring wide eyed at the place where this guy brought me. I chuckled, shaking my head in disbelief. I just realized that I could control my body again, I was back. But the thought of me being able to control myself again didn't make me feel any better.

All that I'd been feeling were all mixed emotions. I didn't know what to feel anymore. Everything was just too damn a lot to take in. Everything that happened to me this night was excruciatingly impossible!

I gulped. I didn't know what was real or not anymore. Was this just a hallucination or something? My eyes moved to my right, and there I saw the guy who was already making his way to the gate. "I know you can already move, so don't just stand there." He said, but I replied nothing. I was too shocked, too weak to even quench everything up inside my head. I was just watching this guy.

When he was already right in front of the gate, the gate suddenly moved by its own, opening its way for the guy to come in. As if the gate was acknowledging the presence of a visitor, it welcomed him.

"It's been a long time since I last visited," I heard him mumble as his eyes wandered all over from the very left to the very right. But after exploring everything with his eyes, I was sure the only thing that caught his attention the most was the huge manor in the middle of the villa.

He began making his way in, but then suddenly stopped when he paused to look behind himself, to me. I was still on the same spot. I couldn't help it. "Aren't you coming?" The guy asked me, but I only looked down and slowly took steps toward the gigantic gate. I was glad that he didn't even complain about me being so slow.

When I already went past the gate, it moved by its own again and closed shut. I shivered at the sight, but still ignored it and followed the guy who was already a couple meters away from me.

I was quite surprised when I saw a young girl with curly pig tails coming out of the huge double door at the porch of the manor. She wore this white Lolita dress and white doll shoes that really suited a girl like her.

"Chaos! You're back! You're back! I can't believe it!" She exclaimed, running towards the guy then hugging him tightly around his waist. It was obvious that the girl was happy to see this guy again because of the wide smile she had on her face.

The guy let out an amused chuckle, ruffling the hair of the girl, "Yes. I'm back, little lion." he pulled out of the hug and kneeled down to match the height of the girl. "Now, if you may, can we go in?" He asked, smiling.

The little girl giggled as she excitedly grabbed the guy's hand and dragged him inside the manor. "I can't wait to tell Akyra!" The guy couldn't help but let himself be dragged by the kid, his face somehow yelling out that he was in trouble being with this girl.

But he quickly reacted in an instant and stopped the girl from dragging him when he noticed me still standing outside. He narrowed his eyes at me.

"Wait." He told the girl. He looked at me with those violet orbs again and my body tensed for an unknown reason. But I felt my body tense more--if that's even possible--when I saw the eyes of little girl.

Violet. Again.

I was quite lost staring at the eyes of the little girl when I was distracted by the guy. "Aren't you coming? I'm closing the door," he coldly told me without even a hint of care in his tone. Tsk. Why would he even care? He was just a stranger, and so was I.

I only rolled my eyes and cursed silently under my breath as I made my way toward them.

I was certain I was lazily looking down the marbled floor when I suddenly perked up at the glimpse of the huge grand staircase in front of me and the beautiful chandeliers hanging above us. I wasn't that surprised, this was a manor. What could I do?

The manor was huge, I mean so huge that I even thought it had the same size as a mall's. It could be filled with hundreds of people, but I couldn't see even a single soul walking around here. It was so quiet the eerie silence was deafening me.

"Who's this pretty lady?" A small squeal slipped out of my mouth when I felt someone pull my hand, it was the little girl. She was now playfully grinning at me like she had just met a new friend, a playmate, or perhaps, a toy?

Without a certain reason, she laughed. "I like you!" She giggled, "You're not a toy, don't worry!" My eyes widened. What did I just hear? How did she know what I was thinking? My brows furrowed, my sight landing on the guy who was just watching us impatiently from a short distance.

I threw him a confusing look, I knew he understood what I was referring too. But he only shook his head and heaved a sigh. "She's a friend, and she's gonna stay here for awhile."

I felt the girl tug the hem of my jacket, it made me look down at her. "Then would you be my playmate for awhile?"

I was still quite surprised. This girl didn't even know me, why would she even want me to be her playmate? "Err...I--"

"Because your Chaos's friend," with her unexpected reply, my eyes widened once again. This girl could totally read my mind and that's for sure!

"You can read my mind." It wasn't a question. It was a statement.

She let out another chuckle as she began pulling me to that guy who I assumed was Chaos. He was only looking at us with his cold stare. What's up with this guy always acting like he doesn't give a damn thing about anything around him?

"Yep. My ability is to read people's minds whenever I'm touching them." She then grinned at me, "So be careful of thinking about your deepest secrets whenever I'm touching you." She giggled.

"Enough now, Leonora. You should go to bed now or I'll tell you to your father." He told the child who now had a frown on her little face.

She crossed her arms and pouted, looking at the guy. She was like using her puppy eyes to him. I couldn't stop the smile that was now etched on my face because of how cute she looked like. The guy seemed heartless when he just shook his head and literally turned the kid around towards the stairs. "Your eyes doesn't work on me, and you already know that since from the start so you better stop trying."

"But--"

"Now go to sleep or I'll leave again tomorrow."

The child turned back around to look up at the guy. "So if I'll go to sleep now... you won't leave us again, right? Ever?" I saw that the guy was startled at the question of the kid. The little girl's expression was a mixture of excitement and sadness, and she was really expecting an acceptable answer. I was sure the guy also noticed that.

"Of course."

The girl grinned widely again, "Okay then!" She giggled as she hopped away from us toward the stairs. She was happily humming a song as she went up the stairs. "Goodnight, Chaos! And goodnight..." She paused and stared at me with narrowed eyes. She didn't know my name. But it seemed like she just shrugged it off and continued making her way up. "And goodnight, my new toy!" Then she giggled again.

I was still watching the little girl as she disappeared in the darkness when she already went to that hallway heading left but the guy suddenly held my shoulder and another squeal slipped out of my mouth because of shock. I faced him with a scowl, "What?" I irritatedly asked him.

"Follow me." He ordered. Then he just began walking towards that one dark hallway.

The manor was really huge, there were even a lot of rooms. I wonder if this manor actually had everything. We passed by a lot of doors and other hallways and we've just gone to only one direction. He lead me to one door, and he whispered something first then I heard a click, it was like the door being unlocked. He then gestured me to open it. Letting out a sigh, I did open the door and was surprised to see a neatly arranged room with a large bed that looked so comfy.

At the corner of my eye, I swear he looked... really sad as if bad memories came rushing back to him, but then his sadness was completely replaced by his coldness again when he looked away from the room. "This is where you're temporarily staying at. For now, take bath first then go to sleep. I'm sure you really need rest right now."

I only looked at him, hesitance was still evident in my eyes, but he gestured me to go in so I really had no choice but to do so. When I stepped in, my eyes roamed around the room first before I turned around to look at him again. "Thanks." I said.

He only gave me a nod and finally walked away from the room, leaving me all alone.

Having no choice, I just closed the door again. I was planning on locking it so I twisted the lock but it just won't be twisted no matter how much force I use. I was still having trouble twisting the door lock when the door suddenly opened, it almost bumped my head hard.

Before I could even complain to that person who suddenly opened the door, he already spoke. It was still the guy from before.

"Doors here don't let the people lock the doors. Doors lock theirselves, just whisper whatever password you want and then your door will lock automatically. You'll also be able to unlock it only with that password you used. Just whisper that password to your door, then it will unlock itself." After saying all that to me, he just slammed the door shut without even letting me talk.

I let out another sigh as I rubbed my palms to my face. I shook my head, even doors? For real? Ugghh! I just want to laugh but I can't!

The thought of trying what the guy said about the doors crossed my mind. And so I walked closer to the door and whispered something that may be used as my password. I swear I felt goosebumps when the door actually locked by itself. What the guy was saying was true.

I shook my head again as I leaned my back against the door and slid down until I reached the floor. I buried my face in my knees.

I didn't know anymore. All I wanted to do now was to go to bed, sleep, and wake up with an amnesia.

How I wish that I could just wake up with an amnesia and forget about these stupid little things.