Chapter 13

Salvation? The word, spoken by Matthias, felt alien on his tongue. Odelliana almost wondered if some imposter had stolen his face. But her astonishment was cut short by a guttural growl that ripped through the stillness. Glowing red eyes pierced the darkness, one set, then two, then five, then seven. Countless eyes gleamed in the night, a predator’s gaze cold and calculating. The oppressive silence of the mountain pressed down on them, thick with a chilling dread that sent shivers down Odelliana’s spine.

Under the lantern’s meager light, a hulking form emerged from the shadows. Odelliana’s breath caught. A wolf, yes, but a wolf the size of a bear, its fur bristling with a predatory snarl. ‘Monstrous beast,’ she thought, the term sending a jolt through her. Higher-level creatures, she knew, were said to mimic humans, hunting under a stolen guise. These wolf-like abominations, then, must be lower-level beasts – less cunning, perhaps, but no less dangerous. They might be considered weak compared to their monstrous kin, but they were still apex predators. Their sheer size dwarfed even the mightiest bear, making them formidable foes.

Over ten hulking shadows stalked from the darkness, each easily surpassing three meters in length. These weren’t solitary hunters; Odelliana knew the monstrous beasts operated in packs. Panic clawed at her throat. In Lerusha’s formidable form, she could have cleaved through them with ease. But trapped in this frail human shell, even a single one of these beasts seemed insurmountable, let alone a pack.

Her meager arsenal mocked her. A pouch of doubtfully effective poison, a flimsy dagger, and a cane with a hidden blade – a pathetic joke against such monstrous foes. Poison offered little hope – these creatures were notorious for their resilience. The blade, then? But her borrowed body was a liability. Ten minutes of walking had left her breathless, sweat slicking her skin, her muscles screaming in protest. Wielding a weapon in this state was folly. Her fragile wrists wouldn’t withstand a single powerful swing before breaking, let alone pierce their thick hides.

Flight offered no solace either. To turn her back was to invite a swift and brutal demise.

A bitter laugh escaped her lips. Trapped, outmatched, overpowered. This, it seemed, was the end.

Despair coiled around Odelia’s heart. Coming here prepared for death felt different from facing it as mere prey. Odelliana stood frozen, a statue sculpted from resignation.

Matthias might overpower the beasts, but hope for his intervention was a luxury she couldn’t afford. He was a fortress of apathy, so devoid of compassion it felt like his veins ran with ice, not blood. A dying soul beside him wouldn’t stir a flicker of empathy – his fallen comrades were a grim testament. In his past life too, he followed orders with a robotic efficiency that chilled her.

The thought of him stepping forward now was a cruel joke.

A startled yelp escaped her lips as Matthias swept her off her feet. Despite his gaunt appearance, his grip was surprisingly strong, the breadth of his shoulders undeniable.

“What are you doing?” she sputtered.

“You weren’t exactly planning on dodging them, were you?” he replied. “You seemed content to become dinner.”

Facing the monstrous pack, a calmness washed over his features, as serene as a sun-dappled lake in summer.

“Are you running away with me?” Odelliana blurted, the question tumbling out before she could overthink it.

Their eyes met for a fleeting moment. “If we’re leaving,” Matthias replied, his voice a monotone, “we do it together.”

He pivoted, cradling Odelliana close, and her heart hammered against her ribs. A glance back revealed the monstrous shadows. They crouched low, muscles coiled, a chorus of growls vibrating in the air. One beast, immense and primal, tensed like a predator about to spring.

Then, Matthias turned his head. Not in fear, but with a chilling indifference.

The monstrous beast, poised for the kill, froze mid-leap. A whimper escaped its throat, a sound utterly devoid of the previous ferocity. The other beasts followed suit, their savage growls replaced by whimpers and pained whines. Their eyes, once burning with predatory hunger, now flickered with a primal terror.

Within moments, the pack had vanished into the shadows, leaving a silence so profound it felt like a scream.

Odelliana gaped at Matthias, her bewilderment quickly morphing into a cold dread. He said nothing, simply continued walking, his steps unhurried, his expression unreadable.

An emptiness settled in her stomach. In that terrifying display, she hadn’t just been saved. She’d been reminded – the boy who looked human was the most terrifying monster.

Even if he looks young, a beast is still a beast…

Matthias hadn’t lifted a finger, yet a pack of monstrous beasts had cowered before him. It defied logic. How could someone who’d been pummeled by a bunch of kids now exude such terrifying power?

“Night travel is dangerous,” Matthias’s voice cut through her thoughts. “I’ll escort you back.”

Odelliana blinked, yanked back to the present. The urgency of her situation flooded back. She had a purpose for coming here, and she couldn’t afford to be sidetracked. A self-conscious laugh escaped her lips.

I can’t leave things as it is.

Steeling herself, she lifted her chin. “Actually,” she began, “I’m a stranger here, lost and without a place to stay. Would it be possible to stay at your place… for the night?”

Heat crept up her neck as the words left her mouth. Stay at his place? It sounded brazen, even foolish. True, Matthias might look young, but his age belied a dangerous strength. Inviting herself into a stranger’s home was reckless.

“A place filled with men,” his voice held a hint of amusement, a flash of white teeth in the dim light, “and you want to stay there?”

Odelliana couldn’t help but let out a small scoff. This supposed threat coming from the boy who’d just dominated monstrous creatures felt more playful than menacing.

“Surely anything is better than sleeping on the streets,” she countered, a hint of defiance in her voice. “Besides, the dangers seem far greater on the road than at your place.”

She paused, letting her words hang in the air. “Honestly,” she continued, pressing her point, “is there anywhere truly safe around here?”

Objectively, his home was the safest option.

The mountains offered no sanctuary. Wild beasts stalked these slopes, monstrous shadows lurking in the darkness. Bandits and worse roamed these lawless paths. Sleeping outside alone was a recipe for disaster. 

People here didn’t band together without reason. To be solitary was to paint a target on oneself, especially for those who were deemed vulnerable. This unforgiving world showed no mercy to women or the weak.

In fact, Matthias is perhaps the safest option around here in that regard.

Rumors swirled about his disinterest in women, some whispering a dark secret, others a morbid preference. Regardless, he wouldn’t harass her. In this harsh reality, that made him a rare kind of safe.

“Perhaps it’s too much to ask,” she began, voice trailing off.

An outsider in his world, unlikely to breach the fiercely guarded ‘territory’ he’d carved out. He slept alone, wouldn’t share his belongings, kept everyone at arm’s length. Inviting a stranger, a woman no less, into his personal space seemed unthinkable. Even feigning a limp, a pathetic ploy, wouldn’t sway him.

Her request, a desperate lifeline, held little hope of success.

Yet, to her surprise, Matthias met her gaze and offered a curt nod.

“Then I will take you to my home.”

Odelliana blinked, stunned. “You… you’d do that?”

“Leaving you here isn’t an option.”

He scooped her up again and turned towards the cluster of ramshackle buildings that dotted the landscape.