"Get it and let's go. I don't trust this place," Liam murmured behind Selina as he followed her in, taking up his position guarding the door once again.
"Sure…," she replied absently, her focus already shifting to the debris at her feet. As she knelt, her attention was immediately pulled to one spot.
Eager with anticipation, she quickly pushed aside a mound of splintered wood and broken glass. Her sharp eyes instantly recognized a pristine white piece of parchment paper. Torn on one side with a familiar silver glow. The thrill of discovery ignited within her as she picked it up.
"Look." She turned to show Kurt, excitement bubbling up within her, but the moment was short-lived. Kurt's attention was drawn elsewhere, his nose up sniffing the air as he cautiously walked deeper into the room.
"The smell is stronger here, can you smell it...," he whispered, his brows furrowing in concentration. The lilac scent intensified, wrapping around him like a cloak, pulling him forward.
Selina watched curiously as he moved cautiously away from her, each step deliberate, as if he were navigating a minefield. There was something in his posture, a blend of curiosity and caution, that made her pulse quicken.
Selina handed the parchment to Liam and followed Kurt, intrigued by his unusual behaviour. He appeared to be interested in a pile of old tarps in the dark recesses of the other side of the room.
"Wait!" she called, but her words fell into silence as he signaled her to stay where she was. Trusting he knew what he was doing, Selina stopped.
"Please be careful," she whispered, her heart pounding wildly. Selina watched as he reached the tarps and slowly bent forward and pulled them to the side, one by one.
"Selina..." His voice dropped to a near whisper. "Do you see her?" he murmured, his voice full of awe mingling with uncertainty.
Selina moved closer, the world around her fading as she followed his gaze. Beneath the last tarp lay the outline of a person, huddled beneath. Selina reached out with her…aurora? She wasn't sure what it was, hoping to feel something.
"Who—" Selina gasped, instincts flaring to life as she took a cautious step forward. Kurt was right, it was a young woman, and she was terrified and desperate. While Selina's instinct didn't sense any danger, fear and desperation could be a dangerous combination.
Liam turned around, taking in the scene. In a quick moment, he was crouched in front of his sister, ready to defend her against whatever emerged, when Kurt finally lifted the last tarp.
"Stay back! " Kurt said, glancing back at the twins, his voice steady but tinged with a softness that spoke volumes. " It's okay. We won't hurt you. I'm going to lift the tarp now."
Slowly, he lifted a corner of the tarp, revealing a young woman with wide, terrified eyes, framed by disheveled hair the colour of fire.
The girl shrank back, trembling as she attempted to pull the tarp tightly around her. Selina felt an inexplicable pull towards the terrified stranger, her heart aching with empathy. But before she could speak, Kurt's eyes widened in realization, a flicker of something deeper igniting within him.
"Mate…" he breathed, though he kept the revelation locked away, swallowed by the tension of the moment. The weight of destiny hung heavy in the air, intertwining them all in a web of unspoken truths.
"Who—" Kurt's words faltered as he thought of how wrong this situation was. His eyes locked onto hers, and suddenly, everything else melted away.
"No…no…," the girl whimpered, scrambling backward, a wild look in her eyes as she stared at Kurt. Panic radiated from her, filling the room with a tension so thick it was suffocating.
"Hey, hey, it's okay," Kurt's voice was soft and reassuring, but it didn't mask the urgency thrumming beneath. Selina could feel the electricity crackling between them—the bond, undeniable yet precarious.
"Calm down, you're safe. No one wants to hurt you," he continued, inching closer, but keeping his body language open, non-threatening. Selina stood back, watching the scene unfold, an unsettling mix of bewilderment and confusion swirling in her chest.
"Please, don't hurt me!" the girl whimpered as her eyes locked on Kurt, as she backed away, her fear evident in every movement.
"Sweetheart, I'm not here to hurt you," Kurt assured her as he stopped moving.
Selina looked back at Kurt. His stance was tense and ready, though he had stopped moving. Selina looked back at the girl who continued staring at Kurt, as if he was the only other person in the room. She was still half crouching, gripping the tarp.
I need to do something, she thought, stepping out from behind Liam. "I'm Selina," she offered with a small smile. "My brother, Liam", she continued, pointing behind her in his general direction. "And Kurt," she finished, nodding her head in his direction.
Startled, the young woman looked over at Selina. She hadn't seen or heard anyone else enter the room.
"Are you hurt?" Selina asked as she slowly took a step toward the young woman. The woman quickly glanced at each of them before her eyes settled on Selina again.
Selina noticed that the young woman's desperation had become confusion. The danger she had felt vanished, she was left with the urge to help the stranger.
"I bet you've noticed we're dripping wet," Selina said, gesturing to herself and her companions. Selina was confident that changing the focus from the girl to them would help diffuse the tension smothering the room.
"Guys, take a seat," Selina said as she gingerly sat down on the floor with her legs straight out with her hands on the ground behind her, using them to support her upper half.
Selina turned her head to meet the eyes of her twin and then her her loyal friend. She nodded to each with a reassuring smile. Kurt pushed some debris away with his foot, then sat cross-legged on the floor. Liam hesitated, before returning to the door where he sat, leaning against the door frame.
"Well, we went into the forest looking for something. A nasty storm started before we found the door that brought us in here. Now we're cold, wet," Selina paused, looking down at herself. "…and dirty."
The girl glanced at Kurt, then back at Selina "Who… Who sent you," she hesitantly asked in a quiet voice before looking at Kurt again.
Kurt answered immediately, "Fate."