This can’t be it. An emotionless laughter nearly slip through my lips if not for the stare kihyun is shooting me. He seems too casual and unbothered while I had to manage my emotions full of surprises and suspicion.

I watch him watch me but then got awoken from my actions when the corner of his lips twitches. I tense, probably a second or more. My cheeks are burning and I feel so warm in this room.

I did the only thing I feel right, I bowed and retreated to ‘my’ room. I notice kihyun getting up behind me as I turn to enter so I hurried myself without seeming too awkward.

It all happened within a second. No, definitely less than that. It was too fast for me to actually count. Kihyun appears right in front of me in my room when I’m supposed to reach it before he does and my head spins out of control that moment.

I feel so weak. It scares me.

My head must be doing tricks. These dizziness that I’ve been feeling must have been hunger. I shut my eyes because that’s the only thing this situation permits me to do. I open them again, very slowly because of what I fear to see. I then grasp that I’m sitting on my bed instead of the position I am aware of previously, and kihyun kneeled down in front of me.

“You must be surprised.” He says with comfort.

Yes I am, very. But I failed to admit that because it would not be a good idea to say anything right at this moment. I must be hallucinating the scene just now. Perhaps he sensed how stiff and nervous I was, he got up and lingered for a few more seconds before shutting my door shut.

Though he’s basically outside of my room since I live in a room within his room, his absence just makes it a lot more at ease. I lie flat on my back and sink in to the mattress. Do I really have the luck of enjoying such indulgence for a slave? I sigh and then whimper, burying my face in my palms because it felt like a dream and everything is too beautiful to seem so real.

For someone like me that has tasted too much fear and hardship, these beauty that I am grabbing onto just seems to be an imagination where it will eventually get smashed and I’ll ultimately face what I’m supposed to face. I am so tired of what my life is destined to be and I dread what it offers because all I see is negativity.

As the thoughts move along, I realize I’m giving myself away to the fatigue and sleep almost took over me if not for the click I hear.

I sat up all of a sudden, not forgetting I am hired to work and not here to relish. Maia enters my room and my feet walks itself to reach her. “Maia.” My voice is so low I’m surprised.

She seems to understand my suspicion and questions, Maia pointed a hush to her lips and I nodded with comprehension.

“Wonho?” I whispered.

Maia points to the door and I understand that both Wonho and Kihyun is outside. Which is probably the reason why Maia is able to come visit me. We couldn’t really converse with ease because we were afraid that our new masters were spying on us and waiting for the right moment to punish us for doing things that we’re not allowed to. Like what Maia and I are doing right now.

I racked my brain and convey the question I wanted to ask through body language. – Did Wonho instructed a lot of work for you to do?

No, was her answer and I pointed at myself with my eyes enlarged to show that I, have got no work to do as well. And everything that Maia and I are experiencing in this household is just too foreign to let it pass. There is something wrong and we’re kept in the dark for some reasons.

Maia smiles nevertheless, she’s too excited and feeling too great about the nice treatment that we’re getting. It’s no use telling her what’s really on my mind. And what exactly is on my mind?

I hate to admit but my vision flashes back to the scene where Maia comes hopping around me in anticipation, telling me how the address of this household has got links to the legends.

And to think that I was the one that disregarded this thought of hers.

Maia nudge me and I jolt before taking a close look at her. Her eyes are smiling in mischief. “Wolves?” Her lips form the word very slowly and accurately. I pause before answering.

What should I say? And it was then that I came to know a part of me does admit that our new masters have something to hide that could be related to the wolves. Because I lost the first second of affirmation to deny away Maia’s opinion.

And she realizes it.

Maia nudge me once more. “Wolves.” She whisper and my eyes immediately flew to the door. It’s a very risky thing to do and Maia could put us into deep trouble if our masters were to hear it. But I doubt so because nothing happened and I watch with frustration as Maia continues giggling like a little girl that has seen a childish act she finds it funny.

“Maia!” I hiss and she pouts on purpose.

There was a knock on my door and the two of us fell into stiff silence. We were afraid, with everything that has just happened and the way we were behaving. What if we were careless enough to have fell prey into the new masters’ spying and invited trouble for ourselves? The door opens slightly and Wonho peers in with a light smile. “We have to go.”

I was rather speechless and in doubt whether he meant us too. But the next second Maia bowed, I understood Wonho meant themselves, with kihyun.

They were actually informing us that they will be leaving the house and I wonder if Maia notice this impossible thing that we have never experienced before in our past households. Wonho nods in reply to Maia’s bow too and I gasp at his actions to us, the slaves. A little too loud too and Wonho turns to look at me, grins and walk off with Maia hiding her giggles tailing along.

“Ara.”

It’s kihyun. His voice gives me the chill because it may sound light and smooth but his gaze seemed otherwise. Maia is lucky to have to obey a nice and smiley one.

“Yes sir.” I answer, standing just outside my room. He sits on his bed, one leg over the other, hands clasp together above his knee. He doesn’t talk and I stood there like a lost kid. What is it that he wants after calling me?

I could hear the ruffling sound of soft fabric. Stealing a glance, I could make out kihyun standing and walking towards me.

I kept my head down and I’m alarmed to see that kihyun has his hands clutched into fist. I am terrified and my instinct allowed my eyes to shut itself. Whatever it is, I have expected it. This household is too unfamiliar compared to the ones we have experienced in the past.

No good last this long and if the good is short, it is very, very bad.

Wind.

A sudden gush of wind crawls along my skin, my imagination must be going off again. I could feel the obvious absence of the loose hair on my neck that drops out from my bun. “Who did this?” Kihyun queried.

As soon as he speaks, I noted that his voice rings beside my right ear and I tense. His words sounded rather firm and strict.

I have no idea what’s going on, I have no answer to whatever he wants to know. So I shook my head in desperate whimper and pray deep down in my heart I could be forgiven for whatever faults he has found on me.

“Ara.”

No please. Don’t call my name in a nice way.

I am reminded of a scene I saw. A punch that landed on my face. A pail of ice water thrown at me. And the useless attempt to shut my crying when I was locked in a room full of dead bodies…

*