The least he wanted was having another person see him in this sorried state, especially, a woman. He wiped his face with the back of his hand and stood up.
"Who are you?" He asked her. Staring at her, he had never seen anyone with such innocent look as her.
She was dark-skinned with long white hair that reached her back, large but innocent blue eyes, and she was wearing a white light gown with a belt round her waist. As she stared at him, Nux didn't feel any hostility coming from her. Her gaze were soft on him.
"My name is Muna," Muna replied and left the spot she had been standing. She approached Nux who was staring at her and then stood before him. "Instead of cursing and blaming yourself, why don't you try and improve?" She asked him again.
"Why are you helping me?" Nux asked her.
"I am not trying to help you," she said, her voice shifting between calm and aggressive. "I just don't want anyone to spoil Lord Van's mood."
Nux's eyes narrowed, trying to read between the lines of Muna's words. She seemed to be genuinely concerned about Van's mood, but there was something else beneath the surface.
"What do you mean?" He asked her, his curiosity piqued.
Muna's expression turned neutral, and she shrugged. "Lord Van can be unpredictable when he's upset. I'd rather not see him lose his temper because of you."
Nux's mind flashed back to the way Van's eyes had glowed with an intense, golden light. He had seemed almost otherworldly.
"What is this place exac, and who is Van?" He asked her.
Muna's gaze flickered, and for a moment, Nux thought he saw a glimmer of fear in her eyes. But then, her expression smoothed out, and she smiled.
"This is the castle of the witch cult," she said, her voice matter-of-fact. "And Lord Van is one of the highest-ranking members. He is a powerful shadow mage."
Nux's eyes widened as he processed the information. A witch cult? He felt like he had stumbled into a nightmare.
Muna's gaze seemed to bore into his soul, as if she could see the turmoil brewing inside him.
"Don't worry," she said, her voice softening. "You'll learn to adapt. We all do."
Nux's heart sank at her words. Adapt? To this? He couldn't imagine living in a place like this, surrounded by people who seemed to be hiding secrets and lies.
But before he could respond, Muna turned and walked away, leaving Nux to stew in his thoughts.
"Hold on!" Nux called out to her, causing her to halt.
"What is it?" She asked him without turning around.
"I-I..."
"Speak and stop acting like a lost child," Muna said, finally turning around.
"Nevermind," Nux said and sighed. "I'm sorry to bother you."
"Hmmm," Muna sighed. She didn't seem to get upset at him this time. "If I were you, I'd take things slowly. Accept my fate and make use of every opportunity thrown at me to be a better version of my old self."
Nux gasped. Muna was right, he had to stop thinking about all his failures and work towards becoming a better person. If he failed ten times before, he would need to succeed hundred times now. Muna's words were what he needed at a moment like this.
"Thank you," he whispered.
Muna's brows furrowed brows relaxed and she sighed again. "But don't get the wrong idea," she said. "I am doing this because I don't want to see Lord Van upset for no reason."
Nux nodded. Muna was nice to him, he didn't know if she was being honest about it or forcing herself to be kind but none of it mattered as long as it made him feel better.
"I get your point but still thank you," he said and Muna was quite taken by surprise.
She stood there for a while, the two of them staring at each other and when she felt she couldn't continue because it was becoming embarrassing for her, she spoke up.
"Why don't you take a shower? You stink, alright."
Nux's face flushed with embarrassment as he realized how dirty and disheveled he must look. He nodded sheepishly, feeling a bit grateful for Muna's blunt honesty.
"Okay, thanks," he said, looking around for a bathroom or shower area.
Muna gestured down a nearby corridor. "The bathroom is just down that way. You can't miss it."
Nux nodded and left the room on her watch and then headed in the direction she pointed. As he walked, he couldn't help but feel a bit more hopeful. Maybe, just maybe, he could find a way to survive in this strange and intimidating place.
He found the bathroom easily enough, and was relieved to see that it was clean and well-maintained. He quickly stripped off his dirty clothes and stepped into the shower, feeling a sense of bliss as the warm water washed away the dirt and grime of the past few days.
As he showered, Nux couldn't help but think about Muna's words. She was right, he did need to take things slowly and focus on becoming a better version of himself. He couldn't change the past, but he could work towards a better future.
Feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, Nux stepped out of the shower and began to dry himself off. He looked around for a towel, but didn't see one. Just as he was starting to feel a bit frustrated, he heard a knock at the door.
"Come in," he called out, expecting it to be Muna with a towel.
But to his surprise, it was a servant who entered the room, carrying a stack of clean clothes and a towel.
"Lord Van sent these for you," the servant said, setting the clothes and towel down on a nearby bench.
Nux's eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at the clothes. They were neat and well packed, but he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more to this than met the eye.
"Tell Lord Van thank you," he said finally, taking the towel and beginning to dry himself off.
The servant nodded and left and Nux helped himself with the clothes. It was a pack of black pants and shirts, fit for a servant like him. After he was done putting them on, he carried the others and left, back to his room.
As he opened the door and went in, he saw Muna sitting on his bed. He was surprised to still see her there.
"Thought you've already left," he said to her.
"I did but Lord Van asked me to help you with this," she replied, showing him a tiny bottle.
Nux's gaze shifted to the bottle in her hand and his brows knitted. "What's that for? What is it?" He asked her.
"It's an ointment for bruises," she replied.
"But I don't have any..." Nux was about to say that he didn't have any wound on him but he suddenly got the reddish bruises on his wrists and legs. "Oh, I guess I'll be needing it then."
"Here you go but these aren't the only wounds you have," Muna said and Nux was surprised. "There are some on your back and you will need me to help you with it."
"On my back? But I don't recall having such—"
"That's because you've been unconscious for days. During the time you were captured, your consciousness struggled against our mages so they resolved to using force on you and that's how sustained the injuries on your back," Muna explained.
"I see," Nux whispered. It was all he could say... After all, there was nothing he could do about it; he was powerless.
"Take off your shirt, I'll need to help you apply the ointment on your back," Muna said to him.
Nux nodded and sat down on the bed, then he unbuttoned his shirt and gave his back to Muna who went and sat down behind him.
She poured a little quantity on Nux's back and and then began to massage him.
As Muna's hands touched his skin, Nux felt a jolt of electricity run through his body. He couldn't help but tense up, unsure of how to react to her touch.
But Muna's hands were gentle, her fingers deftly massaging the ointment into his skin. Nux felt his muscles begin to relax, his tension melting away as she worked.
As she massaged, Muna's hands seemed to linger on his skin, her touch sending shivers down his spine. Nux couldn't help but wonder if she was doing it on purpose, if she was trying to drive him crazy with her gentle, teasing touch.
He felt his heart begin to pound, his pulse racing as Muna's hands seemed to dance across his skin. He was acutely aware of her presence, of the warmth of her body and the softness of her breath on his skin.
As she finished applying the ointment, Muna's hands lingered on his skin, her fingers tracing the contours of his muscles. Nux felt a surge of desire, his body responding to her touch in ways he couldn't control.
He turned to face her, his eyes locking with hers. For a moment, they just stared at each other, the tension between them palpable.
Then, without thinking, Nux reached out and brushed a strand of hair out of Muna's face. His fingers grazed her skin, sending shivers down his spine.
Muna's eyes seemed to flash with surprise, but then her expression softened, her eyes locking with Nux's in a gaze that seemed to hold a thousand unspoken words.
As they sat there, frozen in time, Nux felt his heart pounding in his chest. He knew that he was playing with fire, that he was risking everything by giving in to his desires.
But he couldn't help himself. He was drawn to Muna like a moth to flame, helpless to resist the pull of her beauty and her charm. At this point, he had forgotten all about his first crush, Isabella.
"Can I kiss you?" He asked her but he didn't let her reply and slammed his lips against hers. First, he began to suck her soft plumping lips but that didn't seem to satisfy him so he slide his tongue into her mouth and began to suck her tongue. The two tongues fought against each other for a while and Muna would moan occasionally as a result of it.
Soon, he broke the kiss and gazed at her. Her eyes were locked on him, and he could swear that she wanted more.