Guardian of My Heart

Chapter 5: A Faithful Promise

Iruma's POV:

At first I wasn't sure if I was dreaming or on the verge of waking up, but the warmth of the Sun dancing across my face let me know I was emerging from a deep slumber. I felt strangely comfortable in the moment, tucked into a soft bed with cozy blankets enveloping my body. I couldn't help the soft purr that escaped from me as I snuggled deeper into the silky fabric beneath me, wishing to prolong the sleep for a little while longer. Then reality hit me like a bucket of ice water, and my eyes widened in complete shock as my cat ears perked up and my tail puffed out. I bolted straight up and took in every single detail of my surroundings. I wasn't in my tiny metal cell locked away underground. The room was decorated in vibrant purples and reds, and the lavish furniture bore gothic symbolism that made it almost look like Halloween party decor. Glancing out one of the many windows in the room, I saw strange birds and bats flying about. The events of the previous night hit me like a ton of bricks. "IT WASN'T A DREAM?!?!" It probably wasn't the best idea to scream at the top of my lungs, but I hadn't exactly been thinking properly given the panic I was feeling. My ears managed to pick up hurried footsteps approaching the room I was in over the beating of my heart. As the door was flung open I shed the covers of the bed and swiftly leapt onto the headboard behind me, perching on it and baring my claws at the threat.

Well, said threat turned out to be a rather stunning woman with luscious red hair that reached down to her waist and spread all the way past the length of her shoulders. She was wearing some sort of uniform, though from where I couldn't possibly know. She also had fox ears on top of her head, and instantly I felt a similar aura to her that I had felt the previous night. She reminded me of Mr. Henri, and I doubted it was a coincidence. The two of us stared at one another for what felt like an eternity, before she decided to break the silence. "Iruma, right? My name is Ameri. You've already met my father, Henri. He's rather busy right now, so I'm going to be in charge of looking out for you while he's gone. You can come downstairs when you feel comfortable, I've got some eggs and waffles cooking." I felt my instincts calm down slightly and my body naturally relaxed, though I remained upon my perch. Looking at Ameri, she was clearly much taller than me, but my spot atop the headboard helped me even that a bit. As she turned to leave, I noticed a blush adorn her face as she awkwardly reached for something out in the hallway. "Also, here's a set of clean clothes to put on. They belong to my father, so they'll probably be a bit too loose for you, but your clothes are in too terrible a state to be worn."

Ameri quickly set the clothes at the end of the bed, closing the door on her way back downstairs. I carefully moved off of the headboard and walked over to grab the clothes. A blush made its way onto my face as I realized I was still missing my shirt from when I had been asked to remove it last night. Not wanting to linger on that thought any longer, I discarded my old worn clothes and got dressed in the set Ameri had given me. I was thankful for being able to wear something clean again, though I still wasn't sure I trusted this girl. She said Mr. Henri was her father, and I found that easy enough to believe given how similar her mana felt to his. But I was barely comfortable with Henri and Narnia. They were aware of my new secret, but they held an air of professionalism that made me feel safe around them, as if I could place my full trust in them and not have it betrayed. This Ameri girl was a completely different scenario for me, I had absolutely no idea what she was capable of. In the end though, my fear and apprehension were far outweighed by a greater force. I'm famished. I desperately needed something to eat, and fast. The tea from last night was soothing, but it couldn't compare to eating actual food. Of course, I was a little nervous to try more Netherworld food, but I reasoned that it couldn't be too different from what I was used to.

As the fur on my ears and tail stood on end, I closed my eyes and steadied my breathing like I had learned long ago, before gingerly opening the door and taking quiet steps into the hallway. As I adjusted the very loose clothing around me to get it as tight as possible, I heard a sizzling pan from downstairs accompanied by Ameri softly humming a familiar tune. As I approached the stairs, the wonderful smell of cooked meat assaulted my nose and I felt myself drawn down to the source of the aroma, my mouth starting to water at the thought of chowing down on a proper meal. The table was set for two people, most likely Ameri and me. The girl must have noticed my arrival, as she turned to me with a graceful smile. I nervously hid behind the staircase railing, though I was still very much eying the food on the table. It looked as delicious as it smelled, and I had to control my impulse to dive straight towards it. Despite my uncertain feelings for Ameri, she was being a good hostess to me, and I didn't want to seem impolite to her. She spoke to me once again as she caught where my eyes had been drifting to.