Into The Forest

Chapter 8 | Warmth

Haruo flinched when she pressed the cotton on his wounds. The woman in white apologized and quickly finished treating his wounds on a couch near the fireplace. The man with blue hair stared at the flame while sitting in front of the fireplace.

"You should be careful next time, Master Haruo." She said slowly as she saw his master slowly lying on the couch. The woman immediately stood, allowing her master for straighten his legs on the couch. He replied her advice with a slight nod.

The man in butler uniform snapped from his thoughts when Yume sat beside him in front of the fireplace. She dried her red hair using a small towel. "How's the bath? It's nice right?" The man asked softly. Yume answered with a nod.

"We haven't introduce ourselves, right? I'm Alexavier. And that old woman there is Celia. And I guess you have known our master, right?" He said politely and gestured his hands towards Celia. Celia stick out her tongue when Alexavier said 'old woman'.

"I'm not THAT old!" She mentioned and held her hips. "Yes, you are, Grandma~" Alexavier said teasingly and covered his mouth when she stomped her feet. Haruo looked at them silently and closed his eyes.

Yume looked at Celia then Alexavier. "You can call me Yume." She said shortly, making them turned their heads towards her. Celia took a sit beside Yume and smiled at her. "I wonder why did I end up here?" Yume muttered then jolted when Alexavier raised his hand.

"Wanna hear it? It's a simple flow of Master Haruo's task!" He asked and grinned at Yume. Celia facepalmed and sighed heavily. "Make it short, please, Alex." She said in sharp voice while Alexavier replied with a nod.

"It's quite simple. When the clock strikes 12, there will be a train at a certain platform will never stops and only, ONLY stops at the last platform which is near this forest. Master Haruo had been a lost ones guide throughout the forest. I can say that it test the will of the human to keep on living or giving up halfway of their life, as they have no choice other than follow Master Haruo into the deep forest." Alexavier paused when heard Haruo snoring. He chuckled and continued,

"If the lost ones just stay in the train, it won't move at all because the time in the train is actually stops. The lost ones HAVE to enter the forest to survive. If they give up of their life for some particular reasons and had lost hope, Master Haruo have no other choice. He devour them when they are asleep or instantly." Celia punched Alexavier's back and growled.

"Don't spoil the mood! Now, Yume will think of Master Haruo badly!" She said loudly then gritted her teeth. "It's okay though. I owe him my life. He have save me a lot of times though." Yume said slowly as she clenched her hands. She took a glance at Haruo, which was fast asleep on a couch.

Alexavier cleared his throat. "If the lost ones have a strong will to stay alive, he will not harm them and try his best to protect them. And if the lost ones manage to reach here, to Master Haruo's place, there are two options for them to choose. Whether to stay here or go back home." Yume looked at Alexavier with widen eyes.

"I can go back home?" She said in shock as her eyes twinkled. Celia and Alexavier nodded. "If you want to head home, take a nap or sleep in his house. In a blink of an eye, you'll be back at your place. If you want to stay, you will notice the changes of your human body. I mean, become a bit inhuman like us." Celia said slowly and saw Yume blinked her eyes.

"Like, both of you? So you are --" She jolted when Alexavier patted her shoulder. "Yes, Yume. We are once human but choose to stay here. And look at me now. Imma half human and half blue flame. But I'm so glad that Master Haruo let me stay~" He said cheerfully and grinned.

"It can't be avoid. I too want to go home, but well.. There's no one wait for me at home, so I choose to stay here and try my best to help out with the household chores here." Celia said softly while curling her strand of white hair. Yume looked at them in silent.

"I can't believe it. I thought that anyone who ended up here and meet Haruo will be de--" She paused when Celia stood. The woman in white walked into a room and brought out a blanket. She walked towards Haruo which was sleeping on the couch and covered his body with it.

Alexavier shook his head and sighed. "It's their fault for not trusting him. He's the one who in charge of guiding the lost ones through the forest. And what did he get? Nothing! Just some curses and their attempt to kill him. It make him pity of them, the ones who give up on living. But, Master Haruo rarely shows emotion so that's why the lost ones think that he might be a murderer or a kidnapper." He explained and grinned at Yume.

Yume nodded then took a glance at Haruo. Haruo snuggled in a thick blanket. His long, grey hair was let loose. Alexavier stood and reached out his hand towards Yume. "It's up to you to choose. It's your life, and the choice is in your hand, Yume." He said softly and smiled. Yume took his hand and the man immediately pulled her up to stand on her both feet.