Ivory shivered. Her toes were cold down there. It's like standing in front of a refrigerator at a super low temperature.
She squirmed a little and opened her eyes. She blinked a few times. It does not need to adjust to the light because there is practically no light around it. The room was pitch black, cold, and unfamiliar. Of course, she wasn't in the warm room at her partner's house.
She got up from her bed and sat down. She stretched her sore muscles and looked around. Recalling essential words that she should have remembered before falling asleep last night.
'Push the little button under the table, and the light will turn on.'
Oh yes! That button.
Her hand reached under the table in question and found a slight bulge the size of a pea. Her index finger pressed it once, and instantly the light shone through the room from end to end. Ivory's head was spinning. It was probably the effect of the light suddenly breaking into her retina. Or maybe because of the medicine she took last night, which was quite effective in relieving pain in her sensitive area.
Ivory stood up. She walked over to the table in front of her and poured a glass of water. She drank it until there was nothing left and filled it again. Repeat this up to three times.
This is an unfamiliar place. Clear. But strangely, Ivory didn't feel awkward. Ivory wasn't too scared either, even though this room was the Guardian's private room.
Last night after she managed to escape from the Guardian, who was about to do a sweeping, Cakara took her inside to hide in his residence. It's not a house. Cakara prefers to call it the Bowl.
Cakara is not joking. The house was literally round like a bowl. Bowl is located in the middle of the forest; something strange because there had never been a forest around the city, as far as Ivory knew. They had to pass through a line of giant pine trees that looked so cold to anyone passing by.
As she recalled, last night Cakara stood in one of the giant pine trees in the middle of the forest. He unlocked a magnificent padlock made of tree trunks that looked like the actual trunk. The man then pressed several passcodes, eye scanning, finger checking, and boom, the giant pine tree split open. It revealed a row of underground stairs so magical in Ivory's eyes. Cakara pulled her up the stairs made of tree roots, and they arrived at the Bowl that the man was referring to.
Cakara gave her some valuable instructions, such as using hot water, making hot drinks, using a pocket mattress, and using the bathroom. He also gave her a painkiller. The Guardian then left her alone. He said he would join the other Guardians to complete the task while she was allowed to hide in the Bowl.
What a miracle for Ivory. Ivory, who was left behind by Cakara, then obediently brewed instant ramen, ate it up, then drank the medicine given. After that, she fell asleep.
When she thinks about it, it's really suspicious the help given by Cakara Park because of his status as one of the "robots." Why would he want to help an ordinary girl like Ivory? He even helped her twice. Doesn't that feel weird?
But Ivory felt much more confused about herself. Why did she still accept Cakara's hand? Shouldn't she have run, or at least been careful? Why was she comfortably sleeping in the Guardian's private quarters? What if later that suspicious man came with his army and dragged Ivory to The Higher-ups?
"Should I quietly get out of here?"
"Don't be like that."
Ivory flinched and turned around to face the source of the voice. Cakara was standing at the end of the entrance carrying a bag full of canned food and fruit. Raising one of his eyebrows in surprise, he placed his luggage on the table in the middle of the room.
"Don't be so suspicious. I told you I had no intention of arresting you." He took out the groceries and threw the bag in the trash. He took an empty glass and poured orange juice into one hand. "You, sit quietly. I'll make you a lunch."
"Lunch?" Ivory asked. She looked out the window at the Bowl...
And nothing.
The room had no windows at all.
What a strange building.
"What time is it now?" she asked, still in panic mode.
"Two pm. I just finished my work and got some rest. So don't complicate things and sit down. I'm sure you must be hungry."
Ivory did not immediately obey him. She crossed her arms across her chest and narrowed her round eyes. Scanning the objects attached to the Park's body to detect things beyond her comprehension, still, she didn't find anything odd other than Cakara's Guardian uniform.
"Sit down, Kelana."
"You're not going to arrest me?"
"Gezz, no," he answered quickly. "How many times have I told you. I won't harm you, and you just trust me, don't you?"
"How do you know I trust you?"
Cakara laughed out loud. He glanced at the cute girl before heating two cans of sardines in the microwave. He couldn't stop himself from smiling.
He knew Ivory was worried and afraid of him. From the quivering tone of her voice, he knew exactly what it was. However, to Cakara, what made Ivory look adorable was she was trying to look brave by looking at him intently. Though to him, Ivory looked more like she was about to cry.
"If you don't believe me, how can you eat all that ramen and drink the medicine I gave you? How would you like to sleep comfortably in my bed and trust me when I leave? How do you think I would know you trust me?"
Ivory was silent. Everything the Guardian said was right in her head. She did everything the man in front of her said.
Especially the medicine.
The tiny little medicine is very useful for relieving the pain. When she woke up earlier, she did not feel the slightest pain like the day before. Like magic, all her wounds healed just like that.
"Moreover, if you still don't believe me. You're the only civilian I brought to my place. No one else knows this place other than the people I trust."
"So you believe me?" Ivory walked over to Cakara. She stood behind the man and tilted her head slightly. "Why can I be one of them?"
"I just ... believe you. I don't think you'll tell anyone about this place, are you, Kelana?"
Cakara's eyes looked firmly into Ivory's violet eyes. Demanding an honest answer that would come out of the lips of the girl in her early twenties. Cakara looked at the girl's beautiful face, which had made him curious for some time.
"Kelana?"
"I won't tell anyone," Ivory answered at last. Taking a deep breath, she averted her gaze with a sigh. "What can I do for you, Mr. Guardian?"
"Cakara. Just Cakara," said him. He took the cooked sardines and poured them on the clean white plate provided.
"Umm … I can't. That's too impolite," Ivory replied uncomfortably. She smiled awkwardly at how skilled the young man, that was older than her, used kitchen utensils.
"All people in Amerta have been polite to me. One impolite person might make my life more colorful. Even if you call me by my first name, I think it's still polite."
"The whole people in Amerta? Wow, you're a famous Guardian, aren't you?" Ivory said.
"I am the Guardian Leader, Kelana."