Left for Carnage (Twisted Wonderland x Reader) (PAUSED)

Chapter 14: I promise

WARNING: contains mentions of kidnapping, physical violence, and injuries.

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As the grand wooden doors of the manor close after the departure of Sebek, the green-haired vassal of Prince Draconia, you and Epel are left in a somewhat tense silence. You have so much to do and there's so little time left of the day that you'll have to bolt if you want to at least get a few hours of sleep. And so you begin.

The two of you divide up various tasks, such as cleaning, storing food, getting the suitcases out, checking the material the knight left behind to organize the main clues and other important information, and most importantly, leaving Grim in a safe place until the current mission is over.

Wasting no time, Epel dashes up to the second floor, master key in hand, and begins to lock the doors and windows while you call the Institute of Beast Study and ask to begin the process of obtaining a permit to keep an assimilation beast.

You also apologize profusely to the lady on the phone for the urgency, explaining that there was an emergency and asking if the beast could be temporarily housed at the Institute. She says it's fine and gives you two options: you can either bring it in or arrange for a collection service to pick it up in the morning. You confirm to the young woman that you'll be there in a few minutes and hang up, rushing into the kitchen to pick up Grim, who is happily munching on a can of tuna he's found in one of the upper cupboards.

He starts to complain as you pick him up and run into the darkly lit foyer, looking for your car keys. You celebrate quietly as your free hand finds the set of keys attached to a blue jellyfish keyring, a gift from your brother Svein.

"Epel! I'm going to drop Grim off! I'll be back soon!" you yell, trying to open the heavy door with one hand. You can hear Epel's footsteps on the second floor as they approach the banister as you successfully pull the door open. "All right, have a safe trip!"

The doorway shuts close with a loud "bang". The cold air makes you shiver for a moment as you watch the sky turn orange with various purple patches, signaling that night will soon fall. You quickly run to the old car and press one of the buttons on the key to unlock it. When you heard the click, you opened the co-pilot's door and carefully place Grim inside, the air blowing with great force and picking up some of the leaves and sticks scattered on the dirt.

You walk around the other side of the car, hugging your torso in a vague attempt to produce some warmth. Once inside the vehicle, you let out a sigh of exhaustion, and without wasting any time, you put the key in the ignition and turn it, the engine springs to life and the radio turns on.

While you wait for the car to warm up, you turn around and see the beast sitting comfortably on a pile of books you forgot to take out when you moved in. 'Ah, that's where I left them. I'll probably take them out when I get back' . You notice that Grim is a little lost and not in his usual energetic mood, his eyes lost as he sadly looks out the window. You guess that he's probably afraid that you'll drop him off at the Institute and never return for him, remembering the words of panic he said earlier in the kitchen.

You place your hand on the raccoon-cat's head and gently pet it, catching the creature's attention. "Don't worry, Grim. The Institute specializes in the care of beasts, I'll come back for you when I've finished what I have to do," because it's still your responsibility to look after him. Besides, you've grown a little fond of him.

"But I can take care of myself!" he demands with a little pout, turning his head towards the window to avoid your worried gaze. It's like a small child putting up a strong front, shouting that they don't need help, but in reality, they're scared to admit their true feelings.