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Forneus took a few steps forward and placed his hand on someone. Leo had to look sideways to see who it was. The newcomer had dark purple hair, almost indistinguishable from black, and the same fiery-red eyes and soundless grace when walking—no doubt another vampire, Forneus’s son. "Ah, welcome back, Celik," Forneus spoke. Celik was covered in blood from head to toe, though it took Leo and the others a moment to notice, as Celik’s black clothing did a good job of hiding it. Whether the blood was his or someone else’s, Leo didn’t want to find out. Though, considering Celik seemed perfectly fine, it was most likely someone else’s.
Forneus turned to the men in black and commanded, "Lead them to their rooms," before addressing his son. "You better get washed—blood is difficult to get out, especially when it’s dried." He patted his son’s shoulder one last time before leaving through a door. Celik bowed obediently, glanced briefly at the people on the floor, then rushed out through another door, opposite the one his father had exited.
Sheesh, no respect? Well, he’s got some nerve, although judging by the blood, you do not want to upset this guy. *WHAT DID HE DO, KILL AN ENTIRE STAMPEDE OF BOARS OR SOEMTHING ?* Zion’s thoughts spiraled until they were interrupted by the men in black rushing them into the hall.
Forced to get up, Ares groaned in exhaustion. All he wanted was to sleep and for all of this to be a nightmare. Just then, an arm rested on his shoulder—it was Rain. "Don’t worry, kiddo, you’re going to your room now where you can rest all you like," Rain said, directing Ares down the winding pathways. Ares held his breath, not willing to open a discussion.
As they wandered through the halls, Leo noticed that the men were standing in a formation: two in front leading, two in the middle ensuring they stayed in line, and two at the back, in case one of them tried to be smart and run. He also noticed guards scattered almost everywhere. *If there are guards, why are the men in black the ones directing us?* Leo wondered. *Probably because they were the ones in front of Forneus at the moment,* he concluded.
Finally, they reached their room. As soon as Ares, Leo, Frost, and Zion entered, the door slammed shut. Zion could hear shuffling outside, the sound of metal. *Did they tell the guards to keep watch or something?* he thought, shrugging it off.
Just as Ares was about to flop onto a bed, Frost stopped him. "I call top bunk," he declared, raising his hand. There were two bunk beds and a wide area with toys neatly arranged in drawers. In a far corner, there were shelves of books and a small table with a computer on it—actually, two computers, each in a corner.
Leo frowned and pointed at the toys. "Why the heck would they give us toys? Do they think we’re three or something?" he muttered.
"Eh, no idea, but I’m not complaining. All I want is to sleep, and this room is big, man," Aries shrugged. The others turned and shot him a raised-eyebrow look. "What? No offense, the room is big..."
"Okay, me and Frost are taking the top bunks. Leo and Aries, you take the bottom," Zion stated, rushing off to claim a top bunk.
"Fine by me," Aries shrugged.
Leo stared at them in surprise. They were all acting natural, like they were best friends—not like they had just been kidnapped or were in mortal peril. He scowled. Nevertheless, he felt the need to argue about the unfairness. "Hey, why do you get the top bunk?" Leo crossed his arms.
"Sucks to suck, I guess," Zion shrugged, kicking off his boots, which ended up scattered across the room—one in the play area and one in a far corner. "Seriously, what is this guy?" Leo stared at him judgmentally.
Aries opened the closet, changed his clothes, then hopped into bed. Frost and Leo followed suit. They didn’t waste any time before throwing themselves onto the beds. Leo slowly sat on his bed. The room was grave silent, save for the faint snoring of Aries, who was above him. Leo shifted from left to right, unable to fall asleep. The bed was simply too... comfortable?
Without a second thought, he snatched the blankets and pillows and let them drop onto the floor before following after them. *Yes, that’s much better.* Leo shifted to his right side and quickly dozed off into a deep sleep.
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YOU ARE READING
The Chaos Of Luna's Mark
Fantasía--- In a world where the rarest of gifts is both a blessing and a curse, four unsuspecting children are thrust into a battle they never saw coming. When they receive the enigmatic **Luna's Mark**, a mystical moon symbol bestowed only once every 500...
