"Where am I?" Regis asked, surrounded by a shroud of black mist. Human-like hands emerged from the mist, seizing Regis and dragging him deeper into the darkness. "Let me go!" Regis screamed as he struggled to break free.
"Argh... why?"
"What is this?" He was bewildered and had no idea what was happening.
The more Regis resisted the mist, the stronger it pulled him in. He was almost entirely consumed, with only his hand remaining outside, and that too was on the verge of being swallowed when someone grabbed hold of him and pulled him out of the mist.
Regis began coughing.
In an angry, commanding, and authoritative voice, the rescuer, surrounded by a mixture of blue-purple aura, declared, "Go away!" With his words, the mist dissipated entirely.
Regis tried to get a good look at the fading figure more clearly.
"Wait! Who are you?" he urgently asked.
In a gentle and calm voice, the person advised, "Forget everything. Don't attempt to use your excess strength."
With a reassuring smile, the person added, "Be careful," just before completely vanishing. Regis was left pondering.
"Who was that?" he wondered, his confusion evident.
"Wake up!" a voice suddenly called from nowhere.
"What now?" Regis inquired, still confused.
"Who is it?" Regis questioned.
"Wake up!" a girl's voice echoed. "Open your eyes."
"Open my eyes," Regis mused. Suddenly, water splashed on him, and as he opened his eyes, he found himself in his bed within an old building. Gina stood nearby, sternly staring at him. "How much more sleep do you need?"
Regis abruptly opened his eyes. "Gina," he mumbled, still feeling a bit dazed and bewildered. He reached out and opened the window beside him, revealing a dawn sky. The city center was already bustling with people, each engrossed in their own activities.
"Oh! It was just a dream," Regis muttered to himself, trying to convince himself that what he had experienced wasn't real.
Gina, curious, asked, "What dream?"
Regis shook his head, seemingly having forgotten the details. "Nothing."
As he questioned himself about the dream, a smiling face flashed before his eyes. "Do I know him?" he wondered.
He began to walk forward, but suddenly, he couldn't move. He glanced down at his feet and realized he was chained to the bed. "Seriously?" he questioned, looking at Gina.
Gina replied, "You're a stranger to us, from who knows where."
Regis emphasized, "I've already told you, I'm not your enemy," his face reflecting awkwardness.
Gina responded, "You said it, and we believe you. We are not idiots. You should be grateful we haven't removed your mask."
"I should be grateful?" Regis questioned.
Gina insisted, "So should we be grateful?"
"Well, you should be," he muttered to himself.
Gina asked, "What did you say?"
Regis suddenly spoke, "Hungry?"
Gina, surprised, asked, "What?"
"I'm hungry. Give me something to eat," Regis said as he returned to sitting on his bed and inquired, "How many hours did I sleep?"
Gina replied, rolling her eyes, "Hours? You should say days. You've been asleep for three days straight."
"What?" Regis exclaimed, astonished upon hearing it. He pondered, "It's my first time collapsing for three days straight. I had never been so tired, even after facing Rai for three days. Is it because of the seal or this mask?"
Gina advised, "The lord will want to see you after a while. Wash yourself before that."
Regis pointed at his chains, "How do I wash myself?"
Gina placed a basin of water near him and said, "Now wash, I will go bring you something to eat."
Regis expressed his gratitude, "Thanks."
As Gina left the room, Regis mused to himself, "She really doesn't like me."
----------------
In the center hall, Liliana sat on the highest chair with Jareth standing beside her, while the other elders engaged in a heated discussion before her.
The first elder declared, "My Lord, we should get rid of him."
The third elder chimed in, "That's right, my Lord. The risk is too great, and we don't know his true motives."
The second elder offered a different perspective, "We should hear him out first. What if he is a messenger or investigator for the Eternals?"
The fourth elder agreed, "Indeed, we must exercise caution and refrain from making hasty decisions in this situation. Let's wait."
The elders continued to argue among themselves, their voices raised in discord.
Liliana, feeling tired and weary, sighed and muttered, "When will they finish?"
Jareth, sharing her unease, replied, "Don't know,"
Suddenly, the second elder spoke up, saying, "We should ask the lord."
The first elder immediately agreed, "Yes, ask her."
Liliana, taken aback by the sudden shift in the conversation directed at her, playfully stammered, "Huh? Me?"
Every elder, united in their decision, grinning, turned their gaze toward Liliana ,said in unison, "Lord, decide."
Liliana felt awkward, unsure of how to respond, as she didn't want to embarrass any of the elders.
An elder urgently called, "Lord!"
Liliana hesitated, "Well..."
Before they could press further, there was a knock at the door.
Liliana, startled, asked, "What?"
Gina, bowing outside the door, delivered the news, "Lord! He is awake."
Liliana smiled, "It seems he's awake. I will go see him." In a moment, she stood before the door, opened it, and said, "Okay, lets go," before hurrying away.
As Liliana left, the elders turned their attention toward Jareth, who was trying to sneak away. They playfully caught him and said with mischievous grins, "You decide, Jareth."
Feeling the pressure, Jareth rolled his eyes and muttered, "I'm doomed. ."
With a sigh, Jareth called out, "Lord! You're too much, leaving me alone to deal with these folks."
Meanwhile, as Liliana walked away with Gina, she couldn't help thought, "Best of luck, Jareth. You've got this!"
-----------------------------------------
Regis lay on his bed, gazing out of the window. "When will she come? I've already eaten and washed," he sighed.
He heard approaching footsteps outside the door, and his face brightened. "She's here," he thought, hastily sitting up with his legs crossed.
The door swung open, and Liliana stepped into the room. She asked with genuine concern, "How are you?"
Regis replied, "Not great."
Liliana appeared puzzled. "Why?"
Regis pointed to the chains and said, "Because of these."
Liliana's tone turned somewhat stern as she replied, "The reason is also you."
"Me?" Regis asked, genuinely bewildered. "What have I done?"
Liliana's expression softened as she explained, "You're still denying it," taking a seat in a chair near the bed.
Regis muttered to himself, furrowing his brows, "I really haven't done anything yet."
In a serious tone, Liliana asked, "Why were you asking about the werewolf lord?"
Regis replied, "Before I tell you my story and background, will you answer me one thing?" Liliana nodded.
Regis continued, "You and your people have no connection to those werewolves who are kidnapping humans and Risens, right?"
Liliana sighed, "You're asking the same question again. I'll give you the same answer: No."
Regis breathed a sigh of relief. "Good."
Liliana raised an eyebrow. "My answer?"
Regis explained, "I come from a noble family, but I can't tell you which one for now. As for the reason with the werewolf lord..." He paused and his tone turned cold, "It's because he kidnapped some people he shouldn't have."
Gina was taken aback by the sudden change in the atmosphere, but Liliana remained unfazed, as she had already suspected as much.
Liliana questioned, "If that's the case, why did you come here?"
Regis replied, "I already told you I was lost."
Gina chimed in, "There's no village nearby except ours in this dense forest."
Regis hesitated before saying, "About that..."
Liliana interrupted, "If you want us to trust you, be honest."
Regis sighed, "Well, to be honest, I ran away from home."
Both Liliana and Gina were surprised. "You ran away?"
Regis, feeling puzzled, explained, "My family was chasing after me. As I was running away from them, I accidentally entered this forest and got lost."
Gina, raising an eyebrow, asked, "Don't tell me this is your first time in the outside world?"
Regis admitted, "Yes, and as I was lost in the forest, looking for a way out, I found you, Liliana. I didn't want to return, so I just followed you."
Gina chuckled, "So you're a spoiled young master."
Regis retorted, "Heh, I'm not spoiled."
Gina playfully teased him, "Have you ever set up a campfire?"
Regis replied, his eyes sparkling with curiosity, "What's that?"
Gina burst into even louder laughter, "See, I told you, you were a spoiled young master."
Regis glanced at Liliana, who was also smiling a little. "You're laughing too," he said, turning away with an exaggeratedly angry expression. "I won't talk to you now."
Liliana joined the fun, said "Sorry, sorry, it was just funny."
Regis grumbled to himself, "That wasn't funny at all."
He thought about it for a moment, feeling a bit frustrated. "It's probably best not to mention my secret, being a Risen, or what Rai told me about coming to this forest to find the village... But it's irritating how Rai only tells me half the story. Oh well, things are going well now. Maybe I'll find out where Brother Morwen is from here."
Liliana responded with, "Okay, okay," trying to hold back her laughter.
Regis looked at her happy face and thought, "She looks cute when she smiles."
He finally said, "You can trust me now."
Liliana's eyes softened as she said, "I trust you, but can you tell me who you're searching for?"
Regis bore a mixture of seriousness and sadness on his face, and he replied with determination, "I'm searching for my sister's fiancé. They were on the brink of marriage, but during the last trade, he was ambushed and kidnapped by the very werewolves we now talk about. I cannot stand to witness the tears in my sister's eyes, so I made the choice to escape and embark on a journey to rescue him."
Regis's words hung in the air, and Liliana's expression became one of deep understanding. "Rex, I'm sorry, it's because of the werewolves that you..."
But Regis stopped her, his face contorted with rage. "It's not your fault, Liliana. Blame lies squarely with those who perpetrated the kidnapping, and they will not find forgiveness in my heart."
Liliana nodded in acknowledgment, her eyes heavy with empathy. "I won't pry further."
Regis then asked with renewed resolve, "Now, if you trust me, can you enlighten me about them?"
Gina and Liliana exchanged solemn glances and nodded in agreement.
Gina began her tale, "It all began to unravel when the previous werewolf lord met his demise, and the new werewolf lord seized the throne by force..."