A Night with Alpha, My Second Chance

III

Misty turned and got into her car. Vanessa looked at me, and I returned her gaze without emotion. It wasn't that I didn't want her to have other friends, but Misty was too suspicious for me.

Of all people, why her? From the beginning, I never liked Misty's vibes. I felt like she brought nothing but trouble and... danger.

“Come on, Selene!” Vanessa grabbed my wrist, dragging me toward her car. Instead of asking her about her relationship with Misty, I kept my mouth shut. That's what I always ended up doing anyway, ever since she told me they were friends.

I hope that's what they really are.

After minutes lost in my thoughts, the car finally stopped near our house. Today is the day. Today I'm leaving for Zatoria. Vanessa insisted on coming with me, so she's here with me even though I know Grandma won't like her being here.

“Grandma?” I called after opening the door. Vanessa stood silently behind me. Out of the corner of my eye, I glimpsed my bag, ready for my departure. “I'm home.”

No one answered, but a small sob coming from the bathroom reached my ears. She was crying... I closed my eyes, remembering her disappointment and anger.

“Just leave it, Selene! You'll get nothing out of it but danger!”

This will be the first time we've been apart. I know why she's acting this way, especially now that I need to go to an unfamiliar town. But the reminder that I'm doing this for her made my decision absolute. I'm going to Zatoria.

“Grandma, I'm leaving,” I called out once more. “Please, I want to see you before I go.”

The door in front of me opened. She stood in front of me, her face showing no emotion, but her swollen eyes screamed otherwise. She had really been crying... I felt a pain in my chest.

He said nothing. He walked past me and into our bedroom. Moments later, he came out with something in his hand. A bracelet. Its stones were green with a much larger black stone in the center.

“Wear this always, Selene,” he said, placing it on my wrist. I tried to lighten the mood with a nervous laugh.

“What's this?"

Her lips barely curved into a smile, one that never reached her eyes. “You could say that,” was all she said, her tone as cold as the air around us.

Silence settled between us as we left the house with my luggage. To be honest, I wanted to stay, take a break, and spend more time with Vanessa and Grandma, but urgency consumed me. Every second was vital. I couldn't wait to get to that strange place. Zatoria.

“Please always take care of yourself, Selene,” Grandma reminded me, her voice filled with a solemnity that broke my heart. I wrapped her in a fierce hug, as if it were the last.

I nodded, trying to smile despite the pain in my chest. The idea of not having her around affected me more than I wanted to admit. "You too, Grandma. I'll call you every day.“

”Selene!“ Vanessa cried.

She jumped on me, trapping me in her own embrace, sobbing uncontrollably. ”I-I-I promise we'll call each other every day, and you'll visit me whenever you can, right?!"

“Of course!” I laughed, patting her on the back. Knowing Van, the real tears would come later. A lump formed in my throat as an image of Grandma and me popped into my head out of nowhere. “I'll never forget you.”

“Your time is up, Selene,” Grandma's voice interrupted us. Her face was a mask of neutrality, but her cold eyes were fixed on Vanessa.

My eyebrows furrowed. I still wondered why she had suddenly become so cold toward Van, whom she had loved so much until a few months ago. I never dared to ask her.

“Take good care of yourself, Selene,” she wiped the small tears from the corners of her eyes and took a step back, a forced smile on her face.

“You too,” I turned to my grandmother. “I'm leaving.”

For the last time, we gave each other a bittersweet smile. I got into the taxi that was waiting for us, my heart pounding. Through the window, I waved at them, holding my hand up until they disappeared from view. A heaviness enveloped my chest, but I forced myself to swallow the pain. I never shed a single tear.

The entire trip, I stared out the window. My eyes rested on the buildings we passed, but my mind was elsewhere. What would my life be like from now on? What would it be like to live in that place? Would it last long? Uncertainty consumed me.

The travel time felt incredibly short. I was startled when the driver announced that we had arrived. I blinked, returning to reality. The wide highway full of infrastructure had vanished, replaced by a road surrounded by immense trees.

“W-where are we?”

“Miss, please get out of the taxi. Let me leave this city once and for all!” was the man's response, a trace of irritation in his voice.

Still dazed, I got out of the car with my backpack. The moment my feet touched the ground, the taxi sped away. Cold sweat began to form on my forehead. I was here, alone, in the middle of nowhere.

An icy breeze was blowing. The sky, which had been bright, was covered with gray clouds, making the atmosphere much more eerie. I'm not a fan of horror, I'm more inclined towards action and romance, so this atmosphere was definitely not to my liking.

I looked around as I began to walk, seeing nothing but the endless ocean of trees. I began to imagine someone standing in the distance, watching me, which made me shake my head frantically.

“What the hell? Stop freaking out, Selene!”

***

I kept walking, my grip on my backpack strap tightening with every second. With my heart pounding wildly, I forced myself to focus on the path instead of looking around. The crunching of twigs and leaves under my feet was the only thing I could hear. A deafening sound.

After a few minutes, I swallowed hard. A sign blocked the path. In red letters, it read “End of the Road,” and below, an arrow pointed to my right. I followed the sign and found another path, one that led into the heart of the forest.

Really? A village in the middle of the forest? This was getting more and more suspicious.

Slowly, my throat began to close up. It was as if the air had become thick. My palms were sweating and my heart was pounding, a violent drumbeat echoing in my ears. Who wouldn't be afraid in this situation?

I wanted to turn around. Run. Go home.

But then, the memory of my grandmother falling ill burned itself into my mind. I was doing this for her. There was no turning back. I had already come this far.

Gathering every last ounce of courage I had left, I began to walk down the new path. I held my breath as I entered the territory. The further I walked, the darker the forest became.

The trees, huge and leafy, made me feel suffocated. I tried to distract myself by humming a random tune. The minutes of walking, which seemed like an eternity, finally came to an end when a gigantic gate appeared before me.

Welcome, read the sign.

Two expressionless guards dressed in black watched me as I approached. One of them raised a hand, stopping me in my tracks. The other approached, his eyes piercing my soul. I looked down and clenched my fists. Calm down, Selene. If they do anything weird, I'll kick their asses, I repeated to myself.

“What business brings you to this city?” he asked, his voice as cold as his eyes.

Without looking up from the ground, I took the brochure out of my pants pocket. “I'm here to apply for a job as a maid at the mansion,” I said, my voice sounding much more confident than I felt.

There was no response. I dared to look up. The guard had bowed, and his voice thundered through the air, echoing in the silence of the forest. “Open the gates! Bring the visitor from Zatoria to the mansion!”

But I wasn't an important visitor.

The huge gates swung open, revealing the hidden city behind them. Disappointment washed over me as I saw another group of trees. The only difference was that a road led into the forest, and a three-wheeled vehicle was waiting for me. I sighed with relief; at least I wouldn't have to walk any further.

Still bothered by the strange vibrations of the guards and the atmosphere, I walked toward the vehicle with my head down and settled into the back seat. As we drove away, the doors slowly closed. Now there was no way out. I was already in Zatoria, surrounded by strange people.

“Ahem, how long will it take to get to the mansion?” I asked, trying to sound cheerful to break the tension.

The driver looked at me through the rearview mirror, his eyes as empty as those of the guards. “No more than ten minutes, madam.”

“You can call me Selene,” I offered, but he just nodded and looked back at the road. Great. He doesn't want to socialize, I thought.

As we drove on, the landscape began to change. My nerves calmed at the sight of other human beings, but the strange feeling in my chest returned.

Like the guards, their faces were blank, as cold as ice. They didn't even speak to each other. If they did, it was in whispers or through gestures. And what made it even creepier was when, suddenly, their heads turned in my direction. Their gazes became sharp.

“Don't mind them,” the driver said suddenly, catching my attention. “They're not used to seeing a new face in this town.”

New face? Did that mean they all knew each other?