Seeing her reaction, the man smirked. "Now… Let us start over, shall we?"
Gabby flinched at the man's twisted smile. "Where is Aetherium?" he asked.
She immediately squeezed her eyes shut as she braced for the impact. Then, a sudden, deafening bang erupted.
The floor vibrated beneath her. However, before she could even register what was happening, she felt her body flying backward.
She immediately squeezed her eyes shut as she braced for the impact. She expected to break a bone or two, perhaps more.
But instead of the bone-chilling sting of concrete, she felt the warmth of strong arms wrap around her, halting her fall. Slowly, she cracked open an eye, blinking away the shock. There, hovering above her with a mix of relief and barely contained anger etched on his face, stood Sebastian.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
Almost immediately relief washed over her. For some reason, his presence seemed to have momentarily pushed the thought of the impostor inside the room.
"Yes," Gabby stammered, her voice barely a whisper. Her body throbbed with pain. As if on cue, a low, guttural growl shattered the silence. It came from nearby, sending chills down her spine.
Sebastian's eyes hardened. "Stay put," he said, his voice low and firm. "I will handle this quickly. I will be back in a flash."
He gently lowered her to the ground, but before she could protest, he was gone. Not vanished into thin air, but moved with such lightning speed that all she saw was a blur. He was already across the room, a dangerous glint in his eyes as he faced the source of the growl.
The world dissolved into a dizzying blur for Gabby. One moment Sebastian was at her side, the next he was a whirlwind of motion, a blur. Soon enough, the growl escalated into a ferocious snarl, and then silence fell just as abruptly.
Gabby tried to grasp what had happened.
It was like watching a fast-forwarded film, her eyes failing to keep pace with the swift sequence of events. All she perceived was a rush of movement – Sebastian's arm flashing out, a glimpse of claws and fangs, followed by the dark figure of the man hurtling across the room.
The impact resonated throughout the cramped apartment. The man, now lay slumped against the wall, his eyes wide something that Gabby could not recognize. Sebastian stood before him, his posture tense, a dangerous glint in his eyes.
Seeing this, Gabby's breath hitched in her throat. This wasn't over, she knew instantly. Whatever Sebastian was, whatever he fought, the danger lingered."Don't worry, he is alive; my people will take care of him. Let me take you out of this place," he said.
Gabby had so many questions. She wanted to know what people he was talking about. She wanted to know who that man was. However, her body refused to cooperate. Though she did not lose consciousness, the initial surge of adrenaline was fading, leaving her weak and weary.
Without another word, Sebastian scooped her up and carried her out of the apartment. She vaguely remembered the rush of night air as he whisked her away in his car. The next thing she knew, the car came to a halt in front of a sight that made Gabby's eyes widen despite her fatigue. Nestled amidst a blanket of snow, stood an imposing mansion.
However, before she could ask questions, her gaze started to blur. Gabby's blurry vision struggled to focus as Sebastian gently lowered her onto what felt like a soft bed in a room bathed in soft, warm light. Then she thought she heard voices, whispers. Are they arguing?
It didn't take too long for exhaustion to finally claim her.
When Gabby woke up, she was inside a dark room.
Or so she thought.
Pushing herself upright, she winced at the ache still clinging to her body, the sharp edges thankfully dulled. She lifted her head and scanned the unfamiliar surroundings, a prickle of unease rising on her skin.
The room was vast and elegantly furnished. Was she inside the mansion?
She blinked, trying to remember anything that she could before she fell asleep. Was this real? Or was it just another fragment of a dream?
Slowly, she got up and made her way into the drapes that covered the sunlight. She slowly opened it and immediately realized that the most striking feature was the view outside the windows. Lush greenery stretched as far as the eye could see, a sprawling forest seemingly swallowing the massive house in its embrace. However, from afar, she could see buildings that seemed to resemble Chicago.
She was still in Chicago?
Huh?
Why is there greenery in December? Everything has been covered with snow even before December started! As far as she knew, the average snowfall in Chicago just a week ago was already six inches. So…
"A dream?" she mumbled.
"Fortunately not."
Gabby jumped when she heard a deep voice behind her. She immediately turned and heaved a sigh of relief when she knew that it was Sebastian. He was wearing a sky-blue linen shirt, that was unbuttoned at the collar.
Despite his casual outfit, he managed to reveal a hint of sun-kissed skin and the faint outline of a muscle under the fabric. The sleeves were casually rolled up to his elbows, showing his strong forearms. His crisp white linen pants hugged his toned legs effortlessly.
"I take it that you are fine?" he asked smirking. Was it because she was staring at him? She immediately frowned. His eyes scanned her body. That was when she realized that she was wearing what looked like a hospital gown but… better? Was it made of silk? A sky blue silk dress?
"I— " she lifted her arms and realized that aside from soreness, she did not feel anything alarming at all. As far as she could remember, that man lifted her high up, twisting her arm in the process but… "I am fine?" She blinked and quickly examined her arm, touching it and even pinching it.
It seems that there were no visible wounds or… bruises.
"Did I become like you?" she asked, wondering if she had become a werewolf because of that man.
"No."
She blinked.
"Then my wounds?" she asked. "Did you use something else to heal me?" Like… superpowers? The power to heal someone? The thought of it made her excited! If Werewolves and Lycans exist, then there is simply no reason why someone who had the ability to heal wouldn't exist in this world!
"No," he answered. Why was he smiling?
She immediately cleared her throat. "Sorry. My curiosity got the best of me." She should not blame him for something like this after all; he was the one who introduced her to this world.
He arched an eyebrow. "Just like how you were thinking of opening me up to study my healing capabilities?"
"That— " Again, she cleared her throat. Seeing her awkward expression, he chuckled.
"Come…" he said, amusement flashing in his eyes.
"Where?"
"Do you not want to eat?" he asked. "It's high noon. You've been asleep for almost a day."
"Then… what about my wound?" she asked.
"I will explain everything. First…" he approached her and opened the blinds, revealing the whole view from outside the window. "Let me welcome you to… Aetheria."