She looked down and saw Li Yan peering at her curiously as Willow tapped the child's forehead.
"I'm learning something."
"What are you learning?" She continued staring at Willow curiously.
"Do you want to learn what I'm learning?" Willow asked with a mischievous smile.
Li Yan stared at her with more curiosity like that of a cat, "If it's fun, I want to learn too."
Willow sighed and flicked Li Yan's forehead lightly, "You picky little girl. First learn not to be picky first, then this big sister just might teach you."
Li Yan pouted as she frowned. Willow thought for a bit before she sighed and pulled out a different book. She thought about what the child's reaction would be when she looked through it. Finally, Willow said, "Look over here."
Li Yan innocently hurried over to her side in the little yellow nightgown. However, what the child saw confused her to which Willow raised a brow not expecting such a reaction from the child. At least, she had no need to be worried, then. The page she was on was something Willow came across when she was still in her teacher's residence. A bunch of English and Chinese words were mixed amongst the book making it complicated for such a young child. Expectedly, Li Yan turned to Willow as she pointed at the dark bleak figure in the book, "What is that?"
Willow frowned as she sets her eyes on the being posing like a doll in the pages, "Li Yan, if you or your brother ever see this thing or any ghosts that scares you, take your guiding fingers and move it in a circle at it. Got it?"
Li Yan stared at the pages in confusion and looked up to her with a frown, "Is that a ghost too?"
Willow patted her head and smiled, "Remember, hear me?"
Li Yun looked up at her again before quickly nodding her head obediently, "I remember."
.....
That night was the first night Li Yan learned her first spell without her knowledge of it. It became one of the first "normal" thing she has learned in her life. Something that wasn't pain or the glint of the eyes. Something that wasn't the downcast look of weary eyes. Just what was this feeling, then? It wasn't like that of her brother. Nor was it of her grandfather. Not her uncle or her mother. After learning that one spell, she felt empty once more. She wanted to listen to her words again and the smell of the papers that wafted up her nose. The curved arches of the foreign words and the words she had yet to understand. All of it danced before he eyes in a pattern that was different from the way her grandfather taught her or that of her brother.
No, something about the way Big Sister Willow taught her struck her interest moreso than them. It was much like that time when her brother decided to help her with her literature, despite claiming he preferred math more. She wanted to hear more from her. It was simply too short. Strangely enough, she felt hungry despite her stomach not being in pain, but she still felt the pain of hunger in her chest. It was so weird. So weird that she was afraid to ask the Big Sister for an explanation. Would she be sought at again with those eyes?
The idea of it scared her more than it had back in the empty yard of dirt and the dead tree. She feared the idea of the pain coming to other parts of her body the most. If she wasn't careful, would the Big Sister throw her to those scary people too?
She felt scared all over again under the warm covers next to her. Despite the cold she felt in her chest, the warmth of the bed and the side of the sister seeped into her small cold body. She had always thought the sister was warm. No matter how cold the place was, she felt as though this sister would still continue to be this warm and melt the snow up in here in the North. Somehow, Li Yan quite like it, but would her sister think the same too?
Or will she hate it too?
That morning, Willow had woken up to the sound of her alarm clock as the morning light shone on the white curtains. Li Yan, who slept beside her, slowly stirred with an annoyed look. Willow watched her curiously in thought wondering if the child would still remember that sudden lesson she threw at the child with thoughts of quelling her prying behavior. The child had looked as though she would squeeze herself into her matter if she hadn't voluntarily taught her instead.
Despite wanting to be kind, Willow knew her limit and the child was already fast approaching it the night before. Both weary and diligent, Willow had to continue to push herself for all-nighters so she could avoid her own death again. She was worried and didn't want to go through another death, but, at the same time, she knew the curiosity of a child as she was once just as curious as Li Yan had been. She also knew that, eventually, she'll have to teach her to curb this tendency to a level before she could get herself into more trouble. In all honesty, no matter how patient Willow was, there was still a certain limit to it.
After changing into her same clothes, Willow got the little girl out of bed too before bringing her over to Li Yun's room. After telling her about the newcomers and their place, the mother grew slightly more worried before Willow assured her that they did not disclose to them of the whereabouts of her and her children nor their presence.
Because Li Yun did not wish for it, Willow naturally did not speak of them. After making the meal and medicine, Willow went to Hannah's room to find her already dressed and moving about.
"Good morning!" Hannah said with a trying smile.
"Morning." Willow replied with a yawn, "You gonna go check on your friend?"
"That's the plan." Hannah responded blankly with a nod.
Willow didn't give her thoughts further as she said, "There's the lobby down stairs. Elevator aren't working, so use the stairs emergency stairs. The alarm is shut down, so don't worry about that. Ah, right. Don't talk about the chosen one stuff with anyone else because it gets annoying later on."
When they walked into the red carpet halls, Hannah looked around curiously when she didn't hear noises from the other rooms. Were they perhaps awake too early?
"There aren't many people. Only a handful." Willow responded guessing the woman's thoughts.
Hearing Willow's reply to her internal question startled her and made her wonder just how much this person can see through her thoughts. That idea now scared her a little more than the dreary halls devoid of the presence of people. It was then that A door opened which she saw Belen and that man walk out. Strangely enough, his eyes was sharp and blue. Pretty unusual. Perhaps it was a trait gained from birth, then? The man's eyes widen as a smiled appeared on his lips when he saw them.
"Hannah!"
"Rain, you're okay!" Hannah smiled back in relief before noticing the large guy that shouldn't be easy to miss, "So, it was you who saved us! Thank you!"
Willow wanted to row her eyes but heard the growling of somebody's stomach. Willow turned to Belen who laughed, "Guess we should grab something to eat first."
"Head to the lobby first." Willow responded, "I'll go make some stuff."
With that, Willow went ahead to take care of her business.
That afternoon, Willow gone ahead to Li Yun's room and continued her reading. It wasn't long before she heard the knock on the door that she looked up and saw Belen poking his head in.
"Did you hear that explosion?"
Willow nodded her head, "Yup. Felt it go off already since an hour ago."
Hearing her words, Belen watched at her with a nervous frown before Willow added, "It won't be long. We'll be leaving this place in a few days. If they want to save their friends, they should come back another time, unless they really want to face off against a bunch of demigods coming after them."
"You're..." Belen said hesitating, "You're not going to go ahead and attack them now that they're at a disadvantage?"
"Nope." Willow responded, "Doesn't mean I can still get that advantage going in there."
Belen raised a brow, "Even with all three of us here?"
"Why that when you can wait?" Willow smirked at him.
Seeing her smirk again, Belen began to worry over what this woman was scheming over this time. Since the attack yesterday, numerous explosions have been heard around them since that morning. Belen thought that, since the one responsible for setting up those circles wasn't panicked, then neither should they.
Since the sounds of the explosions haven't died down yet, Hannah and Rain finally started to hear them as well making them worry that the enemy may have gotten over the traps and have gotten closer to them. However, with how calm Willow was with all of this, Belen wasn't too certain where things were going or if she was planning something. Aki got up from the bed side and stretched as he watched the two with a smirk on his face.
"Ah, Aki got up!"
Hearing Li Yan's cries, Aki suddenly freaked out and sailed over the room as he lept to Belen's shoulder amazing the children.
"Save me..." Aki hissed quietly into his ears with a puffy tail as his claws dug into his shoulder, "Get me out of here!"
"Ow!" Belen grimaced in pain and picked the desperate cat off his shoulders, "All right, all right. Geez."
He turned to Willow, "I'm going to see if I can get Aki something."
"Good idea." Willow nodded with a sigh before turning to the kids, "Aki's going to have lunch now, so just let him eat on his own, okay?"
"Okay..."
The children responded obediently despite their sad expressions.
.....
Downstairs, Hannah was sitting on the couch as she confirmed things with Rain which surprised him as well. It wasn't long before Belen came back down with a shivering black cat that was curled up in his arms. Seeing the guy come down, Rain looked up with a raised brow, "A cat?"
Despite Hannah's and Rain's shocked expression, Belen sighed and plopped Aki down next to Hannah which he hissed, "Seriously?! You just had to put me here?"
Belen grumbled, "You wanted me to bring you out of the room and now you're complaining about where I put you? What's wrong with sitting next to Hannah?"
"Her energy is crazy, that's why!" The cat grumbled and leapt to sit next to Rain instead.
Belen sighed and shook his head, "So, this is why Willow never lets you off..."
"A talking cat?" Hannah stared at Aki in bewilderment.
"Who is this?" Rain questioned in confusion as he looked to Belen.