บท 16: Got Caught
The warm sunrays filtered through the gauzy curtains, spilling a golden glow into the room and draping it in a cozy calm.
Xion stirred from his slumber. His lips parted slightly in a soft moan of comfort as he stretched languidly.
Unbeknownst to him, his shirt had ridden up to his chest, revealing an expanse of milky white skin that gleamed under the golden light.
It was smooth, delicate, like the petal of a newly bloomed moon flower, sending a silent invitation to touch. And the man sitting silently by the bed accepted that unspoken call.
The cold touch against his stomach jolted Xion from his blissful oblivion.
His long, dark lashes fluttered like butterfly wings as he blinked himself into wakefulness. Turning his head to the side, Xion saw him.
Soren Vaelis.
Xion's heart dropped. The comfort of waking up was replaced with an icy dread that snaked through his veins.
He dragged the blanket up to shield his body and scrambled backward until his back pressed against the cold wall. His deep blue eyes kept staring at the figure who had so easily invaded his room.
At that moment, Xion realized the fragility of the warm safety he had built the previous night.
Perhaps Xion's wide, fear-stricken eyes were a little too amusing to the eldest young master. Soren's lips curled up.
A soft chuckle echoed in the room. And that softness had pricked at Xion's nerves.
Utterly baffled, Xion watched in horror as Soren rubbed his thumb and forefinger together as if savoring the sensation of the warmth he had stolen before licking the same thumb with an obscene smile.
His golden hair that could rival the sun, and those light blue eyes shone with mischievous glint.
"What?" Soren said, his voice was still so smooth. "Did I scare you, my dear little brother?"
Xion pressed into the wall even further when Soren leaned forward. The young master rested his elbows on the edge of the bed.
His handsome face so perfectly sculpted that it could have been mistaken for angelic, was propped on his palm. But his piercing gaze stripped away any illusion of kindness.
Xion huddled against the corner, his knuckles almost turning white as he gripped the blanket tighter.
He did not respond. Rather, he could not. The fear had choked his throat.
Soren tilted his head ever so slightly and a sigh escaped his lips. "I've been thinking a lot, you know," his voice was deceptively soft. "And I realized... I may have wronged you."
The words made Xion's stomach churn.
"You were innocent," Soren continued, a faint note of feigned regret threaded through his tone, and into his words. "It was Father, after all, who couldn't resist the lure of beauty. So..."
He paused, his lips curving into a smile he might have considered warm. "I've decided to be good to you. From now on, I'll treat you as you deserve. How about it? Does that make you happy, little brother?"
However, that smile was very similar to the predator who seemed happy to find a nice prey to play with.
Yes, to Soren, Xion might just be a toy. Or a slave, perhaps. A thing to be played on his master's whims and then thrown away.
Soren's words... This is not an olive branch. It is a trap.
That cold touch, the one he had woken to, still burned on his skin. A phantom sensation lingering on his body had left him feeling unclean.
Despite his throat being dry, he managed to croak out a single word. "Why?"
"Why?" Soren repeated, his facial expression turning almost contemplative. "Perhaps I've turned over a new leaf?"
Xion did not believe it even for a second.
"Or..." Soren's smile widened, revealing a flash of white teeth. "I simply adore you too much. You are rather cute, little brother."
Xion bit down hard on the inside of his cheek, forcing back the fear threatening to spill over. As Soren kept looking at him like some sort of exotic animal on display, Xion remained quiet.
That was all he needed to do at the moment. He silently counted seconds in his mind. The moment the minute ticked away; the door was harshly knocked from the outside.
It was time for their morning appointment, which they had agreed upon last night.
"Are you awake, young man? It's time for breakfast." A loud voice boomed into the room, and Xion's eyes darted toward Soren.
The eldest young master did not have a shred of worry about being found out.
Instead, Soren raised his eyebrow at him. The older male was wondering how he, a little unknown person, got acquainted with someone so soon.
According to the introverted character of the original Xion, that sure was something impossible for him to achieve.
Xion shook his head, "I-I don't know that man. H-he said he would t-take me to a safe place because I was l-lost,"
A look of realization dawned on Soren's face. "Did he see your face?"
Xion pretended to be confused as he nodded along. "Why does it matter?"
To his question, Soren laughed. A mocking laughter that felt like a sweet melody to Xion's ears.
"Because you, my dear little brother, are naive."
The knock came again, more insistent this time. Soren sighed before he rose from his seat with the languid grace of a predator who knew his prey had nowhere to run.
The young master was not a single bit afraid that Xion might escape from his palm again.
"Wait here."
With that, Soren moved away. With a loud thud, the doors were yanked open.
Xion could vaguely see the bald old man with the beard of Dumbledore, standing there with the same person he had seen yesterday.
Soren shut the door isolating him from the outer world, and in the next second, Xion jumped out of bed.
With hasty movements, he wore his outer clothes. While tumbling over to the table to grab his things before stuffing them inside his bag, he tried not to make any noise.
Xion could vaguely hear some words through the door. Soren was telling them that Xion was mentally disabled and had run away from home in a fit of rage.
To that, Xion flipped his middle finger to the door before he went to open the window.
His room was on the first floor. If he jumped from here, at most, he would get his leg broken.
With the system mall, that was easily treatable. It was a much better option than getting caught by Soren!
But just as he prepared to leap, his gaze caught a figure near the inn's entrance. The sight forced Xion to take his steps back in fear.
Caspian Halos was standing there with Eli.
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