ᴛʜᴇ ᴅɪꜰꜰᴇʀꜱ : ᴛʜᴇ ᴜᴘʀɪꜱɪɴɢ

|15|

• ＷＩＬＬＯＷ •

This was it, the moment of truth.

I didn't know how to feel. Relieved because I was finally going to get an explanation for all the strange events that had happened recently. Or scared, because if they'd kept it this secret, it might be dangerous, something I didn't want to be involved in.

But it was too late now, and I was too curious to turn back.

"Willow, first of all... I want you to know that anything I show or tell you must be kept a secret." Raiden's voice was cold, maybe stressed. He turned his back to me, but I could feel his tension.

"Raiden?"

"Yeah..." He whispered and started unlocking the second door at the bottom of the stairs.

"If you don't want to do this, whatever it is. I mean, I really need these explanations... But if it's too much, you don't have to." He stopped and turned to me, his eyes holding mine for a long moment, probably debating what to do next.

"I have to do this. You deserve to know, and frankly, even if you didn't want to, I would have been forced to tell you anyway. Plus, I wanted to do it myself, so I guess it was time before someone or something did it for me." He pushed the door open and gestured for me to enter first.

Something?

"Whoa, this is huge." I gasped as I stepped inside. The room was massive, filled with exercise equipment, resembling a boxing gym from a movie, but with a military training vibe. Now I understood why they were all in such good shape.

"I would have said that's what girls usually say, but I guess the timing isn't right." I turned around, probably as red as a tomato. He smiled shyly, his ears turning pink as I realized he was flirting with me again.

"Your silence says it all. Come on, I'll show you around." He looked a little embarrassed as I held back my laugh. Who would think this usually reserved boy would say things like that to me?

"This is where we train, as you've guessed. We train to fight, build muscle... That area over there is for learning to shoot. And here, a room that can withstand any degree of heat or cold, and that one is soundproof. That's about it." Who needed a room that could withstand extreme temperatures?

"Willow?" Did I unknowingly have dinner with a gang of criminals? Where had I ended up?

"Willow." He tried to touch my shoulder, but I stepped back unconsciously. His face showed hurt as I turned to him.

"We have to train, we have to be prepared because life isn't just butterflies and rainbows. Maybe it's not normal for you to learn how to defend yourself, but trust me, Willow, we have to. It's that or death." He sat in a chair, and I stood there, puzzled.

"I don't understand. Who are you, Raiden Levin?" He looked at me, his electric blue eyes intensified by the room's light.

"I wish I knew. I don't even know who I am. I can't be who I want to be; that's how life is for us." Emotions swirled in his eyes. I moved closer, taking a chair and sitting in front of him.

"I want to know. I'm sure you can tell me more. What's the significance of all this?" He tugged at his hair, clenching his fists.

"You probably don't want to know who I could be," he said quietly, avoiding eye contact.

"I do. I want to know you, Raiden. Believe it or not, there's something about you, something familiar. Besides, I need to understand all of this, please." His jaw clenched, just like his fists.