Bastard...
Who does he think he is, huh? Some kind of crown prince? If he wasn't so damn handsome, I would've kicked his ass right then and there when he was choking me. But nooooo, Mr. Pretty gets away with it just because he's got a pretty face.
"Ah, forget it. I'm pissed," I muttered, my fists clenched.
Zoren snorted, probably agreeing. Me too.
"Let's never help any handsome men in the future, okay, buddy?" I grumbled.
Zoren snorted again, like he was rolling his eyes at me, but it was more like, Yeah, let's see how long you can stick to that.
Ugh, whatever Zoren meant. I'm mad, and when I'm mad, I need to do something, anything, to take out my anger. I looked around, eyes scanning the jungle like a hawk.
Then—bam!
There it was.
A complete dark side of the jungle. The trees were twisted, the air thick, and it had that vibe like it was straight out of a horror movie. You know the kind. If you walk in there, you're not coming out alive kind.
It just screamed "bad decision."
"Let's go there, Zoren," I said, like it was the best idea ever.
But Zoren? Oh no. He just stood there, frozen.
His eyes wide, his ears back, like I'd just suggested we take a stroll through a graveyard with zombies.
"What?! Let's go!" I urged, waving my hand toward the dark side.
Zoren snorted, but this time he took a few steps back. Okay, so now he's scared? But why... I mean, it's just some creepy jungle—what's the worst that could happen?
"Fine! I'll go by myself then!"
I got off and started walking, all dramatic and ready for my solo adventure. But of course, Zoren wasn't having it. He trotted in front of me, blocking my way like some overprotective mom.
He shook his head, nodding like, No, you cannot go in there. It's dangerous.
I sighed, rubbing my forehead. "Don't worry, I'll be back soon."
Zoren stood firm, shaking his head like I was making the biggest mistake of my life. He really wasn't having it.
I patted his head. "Just wait here; I'll come back soon." I said it with as much confidence as I could muster, but honestly, who knew what I was walking into?
But did Zoren listen? Nope. Did I listen to Zoren? Also nope. I pushed past him and marched forward.
"See ya, buddy! I'll be back soon! Just wait for me here, okay?" I shouted over my shoulder, not even bothering to glance back at Zoren. I could hear him snorting behind me, but hey, whatever.
I kept walking, stepping into the darkness. Honestly, I was a little scared. Okay, maybe more than a little. But hey, this is a novel world, right? I might recall some deep, dramatic moment from this stupid novel.
Who knows? Either way, I had to push forward.
The jungle? Yeah, it was darker than a midnight alley in Seoul.
I could barely see my hands in front of me, and my footsteps were the only thing breaking the eerie silence. No birds, no bugs, nothing. Just me, the trees, and... more trees. The air was thick and cold, biting right through my clothes. Damn, I should've brought a sweater or something, but who knew this dark hole would feel like an icebox?
I was about to keep walking when something weird happened. My ring. You know, the one Grand Duchess gave me? That mysterious blue one? It started glowing. Not like, a little glow. I mean, shining. Like a damn spotlight. What the hell was going on?
"What's... what's happening? Why's this thing shining out of nowhere?" I mumbled to myself, staring at the ring.
The ring kept glowing, and then out of nowhere, I heard some rustling behind the bushes. What now? Is this some kind of horror movie? I stopped dead in my tracks, hand on my dagger, ready to unleash hell.
But the bushes kept rustling...rustling...and rustling.
Ah, I am losing all my patience.
"Ahhh... whoever you are, come out already!" I yelled, clearly not in the mood for whatever stupid dramatic climax this jungle was trying to throw at me. I mean, it's just a jungle, right? Why are we all suddenly acting like we're in a K-drama?
The rustling got louder, and then... I saw them. Those damn yellow eyes. Was it a beast? Some giant wild animal? I tensed up, dagger in hand, ready to take on whatever the hell was hiding in those bushes.
And then—
Boom.
A freaking panther steps out. Not just any regular panther. Oh no. This one was huge. Big. I mean BIIIIIGGGGGGGG!
But the real kicker? Its fur was the same damn color as my glowing blue ring. What the heck? Was this thing genetically engineered or what? A blue panther? Out of nowhere?
The thing looked straight at me. I could practically feel its breath, hot and heavy, yet it didn't look dangerous.
Yeah, yeah, whatever. If it's a fight it wants, it's gonna get one.
I tightened my grip on my dagger. "Come at me; I'm ready!" I growled. And just when I was about to lunge...
"You don't need to be scared, master."
Wait. What?
I froze, staring around like a confused puppy. "Did... Did someone just talk?" I muttered, looking around, fully expecting some ninja to pop out of the bushes.
But no. Just me and... this weird blue panther.
"There's no one else but me and you, master."
I heard it again. Then glanced towards this big, blue, weird panther. And then it hit me like a rock.
Okay. Nope.
I looked at the panther, my brain short-circuiting. "No... no way. A weird blue panther is talking?!" I yelled.
I was shocked, stunned, frozen—whatever you name it. I just couldn't move. And the weird blue panther just kept strolling toward me.
I raised my dagger, hands shaking just a little—because, let's face it, this was the kind of thing that would give anyone the creeps. "Stay away... you weird blue animal. Stay away..."
I swear, I was not scared.
Not at all.
But that was definitely giving me goosebumps.
Who wouldn't get the chills when a freakin' talking panther—that looks like it stepped out of a sci-fi novel—decides to stroll up to you?
If the real Cecilia was here, she'd probably be screaming and running away already. But nope, not me.
I'm a fighter.
But this panther? This thing wasn't backing down. It just kept coming closer. And then—it spoke again. "I have been waiting for you ages, master."
Master? MASTER?
I felt my eye twitch. "What master? Who the hell is your master? I didn't sign up with you, man!" I shouted.
The panther froze, tilting its head like it was trying to process what I just said. "Sign up? What's that, master?"
I stood there, jaw dropped. The freaking animal is asking what "sign up" means? I swear, at this point, I'm not sure who's the idiot here—me or this magical talking panther.
"It means I'm not your owner, you idiot!" I yelled again, my patience running thinner.
I huffed, breathing heavily. Seriously? Was I supposed to suddenly be a master of a talking panther in the middle of a dark jungle? This wasn't some kind of magical pet adoption center.
The weird blue panther nodded like it was the most natural thing in the world. "Ah, I see, master."
I gritted my teeth so hard I thought they might break. "I am NOT your master, you idiot!"
But then it tilted its head, all innocent-like. "But you're my master, master."
At this point, I was done. My brain was fried from dealing with this... whatever this thing was. I mean, sure, it wasn't dangerous—just weird as hell—but I couldn't deal with any more talking animals claiming to be my master.
Who knew what other bizarre crap this world had in store for me? Like, maybe next I'd run into a talking cactus or a dragon with an attitude problem. I didn't even want to know.
"I'm outta here!" I muttered, marching back the way I came.
But of course, this weird blue panther wasn't about to let me go. It started following me, its sleek, muscular body moving silently through the jungle. I spun around. "Why the hell are you following me?!"
It tilted its head again, so casually, like it wasn't the least bit bothered by the fact that I was clearly having an existential crisis. "It's because you're my master. Wherever you go, I have to follow you."
I could feel the rage bubbling inside me. What kind of messed-up fantasy logic was this? "Aaaaah, what the hell?!" I grabbed my forehead in frustration. Then, thinking it might calm me down, I plopped down on the ground, folded my legs, and took a deep breath.
I glanced at the weird blue panther. "Sit down," I said, my voice firm.
To my absolute shock, the panther actually sat down like a dog. A blue, mystical dog. It was almost too much to handle.
"So, when did I sign up as your master?" I asked.
The panther stayed silent, avoiding my eyes. The little bastard was hiding something. I could feel it.