Ara stared up at the guy. He was so tall that she only came up to his chest. Before she could even notice his extraordinary handsome features, her common sense kicked in. She wrenched his hands forcefully away from using all the strength she could manage.

" Who are you and what do you want " She yelled, while keeping a safe distance between herself and the strange guy.

Ara eyed him suspiciously as he sighed. Running his fingers through his dirty blonde hair, the man gazed down at the girl glaring back at him. This was something he wasn't used to. Girls or even older women could not seem to be able to resist him. They either throw themselves at him or ogle at a distance so close it made him irritated. He had gotten used to it, though. Being who he was, good looks was just part of the package. His other brothers and even the people of his kind possessed looks that humans went crazy over.

" Sorry for frightening you, I honestly did not mean it. Before I can tell you anything more, do you promise to listen to what I say with an open mind? " He questioned in a cold voice, so low that Ara had to strain her ears to catch his words.

The girl judged him openly. He did not seem like he meant any harm but she could never be too sure. After all, what was he doing in the girls' bathroom in a college so early in the morning? The guy obviously did not look like a student here. However, he had a certain calmness radiating from him that allowed Ara to determine his honesty. She had always been an accurate judge of others' motives.

She nodded curiously, watching the stranger's face relax in apparent relief. He had expected a fight from the girl.

" We should probably get out of this place though. It will look ridiculous if others were to catch us talking here. " He surveyed his surroundings with a frown etched on his handsome face. " I'm assuming the best place to have a talk in this environment will be the library? " The man continued, looking at Ara's expression.

Ara hesitated for a moment, before muttering an agreement. She was still a little jolted from what was going on but Ara had always been brave. People might expect her to be a dainty, whimpering sort of girl based on her appearance but Ara wasn't. She was nothing like the other girls her age. 

She was about to point out the location of the school library to the stranger when he just exited the bathroom gracefully and walked in the correct direction.

Ara narrowed her eyes, the confident way the man was behaving seemed like he was familiar with the college. Yet, she was sure he hadn't been here before.

The pair strolled past the various classrooms, earning hushed whispers from the students who were present.

" Isn't that Park Ara from year 2? "

" Who is she with? "

" Damn, he's handsome "

" Handsome is an understatement, please "

" Look at him, he's practically like a god of perfection. "

Ara rolled her eyes, hearing the girls whisper and giggle among themselves. They were all the same. Ogling and gossiping about cute boys were all they did. Ara had never joined them. She did not want to sink to their level, it appeared shallow to her. That may explain her lack of friends. She only had one best friend in all her 18 years. Ara turned her attention to the man in front of her. She was sure he could hear all the mutterings and comments as well. His impassive face showed no change of expression though. 

They reached the library in a matter of time. It was dimly lighted and the only person present was the school librarian. She was an old lady who was hard of hearing. Right now, she had her back towards them and was busy arranging the books on a shelf near the entrance. The man led Ara to the far end of the library. Ara inhaled deeply, enjoying the musty smell of old books and ink. The library wasn't a place that students hanged out in but for Ara, it was her favourite place in the whole college. 

She looked at the man expectantly, holding her breath. What on earth was he going to say?

" First of all, my name is Kris. " He introduced with a slight bow. She returned his bow and looked at him, waiting for him to go on.

" And that, is prove of what I am going to tell you. " He continued, pointing with a slender finger towars the heart pendant dangling on Ara's wrist.

Ara frowned, not understanding what the man was trying to say.

" You, Park Ara. You're not normal. You had a pretty normal life up till now, I'm sure of it. But no matter what, you don't belong here. You belong with me, with us. The Guardians of the Stars. " Kris looked at her, carefully measuring her facial expression. He folded up his sleeve, revealing a similar bracelet with a miniature crystal dragon around his muscular forearm. She caught a glimpse of a tattoo branded in his broad upperarm before he pulled his sleeve back down. 

Ara wasn't sure how to react. She wanted to snort and laughed at the ridiculous words coming out from his mouth, but deep inside her, his words rang a bell.

" Listen to your heart. It will tell you that what I'm saying is the truth. You have much more that you need to know but for now, just know that you are not a normal 18 year old. " He glanced down at her, his previous cold expression softening a little.

She looked at him silently. Her instincts were telling her to trust this man. Kris. 

" So why are you suddenly telling me this now? What do you want from me? " Ara bit her lip and questioned a little defiantly.

He sighed. " Trust me, we didn't want to drag you back into our world so early. Some things happened and I was ordered to find you. Your life is in danger, just so you know. " Kris added, his mouth hardening into a grim line.

" We have resigned you from this school. You will need to come with me, immediately. Your parents have been informed and by the way, they know more than what you will ever guess. "

Ara stared at him in disbelief. Was he expecting her to just leave her family and education behind solely based on his words? She couldn't even verify if what he was saying was the truth. As if reading her mind, Kris handed her a cell phone and motioned for her to press a button.

Her mother was on the screen, gazing lovingly at Ara with her father's arm around her.

" Girl, listen to Yi Fan. You will be safe with him. I promise " 

Yi Fan, was Kris a Chinese? Ara widened her eyes in shock. " Mum, are you sure of what you're saying? "

" I'm sorry for not telling you anything all these years. What we did was to protect and shield you from dangers you cannot imagine. Even though you're not my real daughter, I loved you like you were my own. You are my own, my Ara. "

The girl's face crumbled. Was she adopted? A million questions raced through her mind as she struggled to put her mother's words in place.

" Goodbye my daughter, you will see me and Dad again. But for now, follow Yi Fan. Everything will make sense soon. " Ara's mother hung up before the girl could say anything.

Kris gazed at Ara as he watched her expression change. It faded from a sad and confused look into a determined one. The courage and acceptance that this girl possessed touched Kris's heart in a strange way he couldn't explain.

" Are you alright? I know this is too much to take - " Kris started before Ara interrupted him.

" I'm fine, actually not really. But if this is what Mum wants me to do, then so be it. I want to know everything. " She looked straight into his eyes firmly.

Kris stood up and held out his hand towards Ara, helping her up. This action meant nothing to Kris, he had always been a gentleman. As for love, he couldn't care about it. He had more than enough women who threw themselves at him to keep him entertained. They were just casual flings.

Ara followed the tall man as he led her out of the college and into a glossy black car with tinted windows. Kris opened the door and silently ushered her in, before entering the driver's portion. He sped through the roads in silence, occasionally glancing at Ara to make sure she wasn't uncomfortable.

The girl, however, was too absorbed in her own thoughts. Ara gazed out at the lights flickering by as she was consumed by a burning desire to figure out everything once and for all. She didn't even notice when Kris stopped the car at the opening of a abandoned trail at the foot of a huge mountain. They had been driving for hours and without Ara's realisation, already left the city far behind.

However, she had to admit that she was a little worried. Her heart thumped unevenly as he motioned for her to enter the forested trail. She peered in and all she could see was foilage and darkness beyond that. Ara turned to Kris suspiciously, not trusting the road he wanted her to enter.

" Trust me " Kris stated simply.