"Have we met before?" Anna asked the leader of king's team.
"Yes." His answer was calm.
He stretched his hand to Anna for her to take it and help her up from the ground.
Anna didn't refuse his kind offer as she took his hands in hers and with a little pull she was up on her feet.
"Thanks" She murmured with the green eyes still staring down at her as if he was searching her.
"What do you mean yes?" Came the voice of the girl from king's team.
Her eyebrows narrowed because of the attention their leader was giving to the human.
Tristan tilted his head to the side to speak. "I once saved her." Tristan said which made the other people curious about what he was talking about.
On the other hand Anna had just remembered where she had seen the guy that stood before her in the past.
It was two years ago in the woods almost during the time she had left the top walls to living in the city.
What happened that day was the reason why Louis had agreed to let her leave the top walls to the city.
"Thank you"Anna thanking him for saving her those years ago.
"I never thought we would meet again," He said and smiled. "My name is Tristan." He introduced stretching his hand forth for an handshake.
"Anna" She said and shook his hand.
"You haven't changed at all" He said
"Seems you remember so well"
"You left quite an impression" He said and smiled.
"It's nice meeting you again" She said and returned his smile.
"You guys said you wanted to train with us let's begin." Leon's words were casual and had broken Tristan's gaze which was on Anna the whole time.
"Then we should practice." Muttered Tristan and turned around and walked back to his teammates.
Leon wasn't happy with the king's team joining their training but he knew they wouldn't leave until they accepted to have them join.
Seeing the way Tristan had stared at Anna, it seemed like the guy has something up his sleeves.
And he didn't see any harm in them joining because they were only three of king's teammates here and also that of his.
They all went back to prepare for the training.
Anna didn't want to sit anymore and watch them sharpen their blades as she decided to stretch her legs a little.
Anna began to walk away from the group as the noise that was coming from the scraping of swords diminished as she walked deeper into the forest.
Anna couldn't help but notice the rich aroma of the damp soil. The rough bark of ancient trees scraped against her fingertips as she trailed her hands along the windy path.
The forest's emerald canopies filtered
right now the sunlight, caating dappled shadows on the forest the floor.
She breathed in the fresh air and she felt at ease.
Unaware of the distance, Anna wandered deeper into the forest, the sound of scraping of swords fading into the background.
Her feet came to halt when she felt something damp on her sneakers. She looked at her feet and saw she had mistakenly stepped into something.
"Shit, What's this?" A deep frown appeared on her face as she stared at the little mud she stepped into that stained her shoes.
She raised her leg but to her disbelieve she couldn't get her leg outfrom the mud.
She tried again but to avail her leg was stuck. She continued to try but her legs were really stuck in the mud.
She looked around her and that was when she realized...
She noticed what she had stepped on wasn't just on a spot but around her.
It wasn't possible for it to be mud because it hasn't rained for days.
She tried again but she was stuck. She began to panic.
"Help me" She shouted out loud maybe her words will get to where the supernaturals were but Anna didn't know how far she had gone into the woods.
"She yelled again but what she heard wa her voice echo in the whole forest and the rustling of leaves.
She suddenly heard the snap of a branch as she tilted her head in panic to see where the sound came from but she didn't see anything.
Panic set in, Anna's heart racing as she struggled to free herself, but it seemed impossible.
She heard the creaking of branches on the tree as her heart rate began to increase.
She didn't know if she closed her eyes to for a split second but her blue eyes met the yellow eyes of an unknown creature.
Beads of sweat trickled down her forehead, chilling her skin. Her body stiffened, paralyzed with fear.
She didn't have the chance to look at him for a second more as it jumped to her.
Meanwhile, Leon finished sharpening his blade and glanced around, his gaze lingering on the empty space where the humans girl had stood moments ago.
He looked at the place she was standing before and noticed she wasn't there. He looked around and didn't see the blonde girl.
He began alarmed. "Where is Anna?"Leon asked as he drew the attention of others.
Tristan who had heard the question had looked up and got up from his squatting positon. His green eyes scanned around and he didn't see the blonde girl anywhere.
"I saw her taking a stroll." The guy who was from the Knight's team spoke for the first time.
"Where?" Tristan voice came out deep and demanding.
The guy pointed to the direction he had seen her.
"That way leads to the bed trap forest" Andrew said which the other people already knew.
"Why didn't you say anything?"Tristan demanded from the guy named Ron whose head was bent low.
"It isn't the time to blame anyone."Leon was the one to speak as he began to walk to the path leading to the bed trap forest.
Alexa and Andrew didn't hesitate to follow Leon.
When Tristan wanted to follow them his wrist was grabbed by Elizabeth.
"I don't think it's our business." Elizabeth said with her eyes narrowed slightly.
"It's not our business but mine" Tristan muttered in a low voice and broke the grip Elizabeth had on his hand and left.
Elizabeth stood there fuming because of Tristan sudden concern and interest in the human girl.
Anna screamed out loud, her scream echoing in the forest. Her eyes were shut as she waited for the pain the creature was going to inflict on her.
For a second she didn't feel anything. She opened one of her eyes and didn't see the creature before her.
She then opened her second eye and her gaze met a pair of sapphire blue eyes.
She felt relieved on seeing the familiar gaze stare at her.
Was she hallucinating the creature or...
She heard a loud groan behind her as she looked towards where the sound came from and she was surprised to see the same creature lying on the ground not too far away from where she stood. She wasn't hallucinating.
It seemed the creature was in pain as it continued to groan.
Anna looked back at Xander who just glanced at her and before she knew it he wasn't in front of her anymore.
She looked around and saw him standing behind, gripping the creature's neck like he was going to snap it's neck any minute.
Anna didn't know what happened next but a louder growl was heard from the creature and the moment the forest was quiet like nothing had happened and the body of the creature was thrown to the ground.
She saw the creature had stopped moving and she noticed Xander's hand was covered with blood and he had thrown something on the ground.
He took long strides to stand before her as Anna was still in shock.
"What are you doing here?" Anna asked absentmindedly as her brain couldn't process the amount of blood that was on the ground and on Xander's hand.
Xander saw her gaze on his hand and the next second, a ball of flame appeared on Xander's hand and when it disappeared the blood that filled his hands was gone.
"I'm supposed to be asking you that." Came Xander's words that sounded annoyed.
"Could you help me out?" Anna asked for his help pleading with her eyes.
A ball of liquid appeared on his hand as he threw the ball on the ground, she was able to move her feet again.
Anna was surprised how casually he had freed her. She had forgotten she had been standing for awhile without moving and her feet had become weak.
Her legs lost its stance and she almost fell to the ground if not for Xander who quickly supported her by holding her waist.
She felt his strong arm on her waist which had made her chest tighten into nuts.
She held his broad shoulders for more support.
"Thanks" came the murmured appreciation from her.
"What are you doing in the bed trap forest?" Came Xander's first question since when he saved her life.
"Bed trap?" Anna's question was rhetorical as she stared at Xander wide eyed.
She had heard so much about this forest from Louis.
Louis had told her how dangerous the forest is and how night creatures usually lurked here. She hadn't come across the forest until now.
"What was that creature?" She didn't give an answer to his question and asked hers.
Anna hadn't seen the creature clearly but she knew it had yellow eyes and she had also seen the three horns on it's head and it's body was covered in animal skin.
"A casted demon." Xander answered with a deep frown as he wasn't happy that the girl had almost gotten killed.
Anna eyes narrowed in confusion as she wondered what a casted demon means.