~2~

Another world.

I was actually in another fucking world.

This had to be some sick joke. There was no way in hell I'd been sucked into one of those Chinese light novel scenarios. That shit wasn't real. It couldn't be.

I paced back and forth across the now-empty room, my mind refusing to slow down.

The girl, or rather, my new sister, Suzy, had stepped out to prepare our meals, leaving me alone with nothing but silence and a whirlwind of questions.

How the hell did I end up here?

More importantly, how the hell was I supposed to get out?

The more I thought about it, the more my head hurt.

This was getting me nowhere.

I stopped pacing.

“Okay,” I said, slapping my cheeks with both hands.

First of all, panicking wasn't going to answer any of my questions.

No.

I needed answers. And to get them, I was going to have to play the part of Catherine Wells.

Which meant, observe everything, learn everything, and figure out where the hell I was and how I could get out.

A flash of the fire came rushing back to me.

I swallowed hard.

Whatever that had been, I needed to make damn sure it didn't happen again.

I looked toward the door.

For now, I need to get some answers.

I strode toward the door, but a slight flicker in the corner of my vision caught my attention.

I stopped.

Slowly, I turned my head.

An unfamiliar girl stared back at me from the mirror.

Long brown hair fell all the way to her waist, framing a heart-shaped face. Large ivory-colored eyes stared back at me, with a dusting of freckles scattered across her nose.

She looked young. Maybe twenty-five at most.

Her body was so slim and pale that she bordered on looking malnourished, and she wore nothing but a simple white nightgown.

Still...

She was beautiful, very beautiful.

I reached up and gently touched my face.

So this... This was Catherine Wells.

“Catherine! Your meal is ready!”

Suzy's voice came from outside.

I snapped my attention toward the door.

Okay, Catherine.

Let's find out who you really are.

I stepped out of the room and was immediately greeted by a sweet scent. I'd never smelled anything like it before, but it was surprisingly pleasant.

I looked around.

The room was mostly bare, though several shelves lined the walls, filled with different bottles containing all sorts of colorful liquids, along with what looked like dried leaves and strange little objects.

On the right, two brooms hung from the wall beside two dark robes.

If I didn't know any better, I'd assume this was a witch's house.

I almost laughed at the thought.

Yeah, right.

“Catherine?”

I snapped my attention toward Suzy.

“Sorry. I'm just feeling a bit distracted,” I lied.

Suzy grimaced, her gaze dropping to the floor before she lifted her head again. Her pigtails swayed as she motioned toward a worn wooden table.

“Come sit.”

I nodded and slowly pulled out one of the low stools before sitting down.

I looked at my plate.

So this was the source of that sweet scent.

A few sliced apples sat beside a small cup filled with some unknown liquid that smelled surprisingly strong.

I had no idea what it was, but my stomach rumbled anyway.

Suzy smiled as she sat across me.

“Come on. Eat.” she said warmly, taking a slice of an apple from her plate.

I hesitated before reaching for an apple slice of my own.

Not surprisingly, it tasted like an apple.

I tried the drink next. Bringing the cup to my lips, I took a slow sip.

An explosion of sweetness filled my mouth.

Not overly sweet. Just...good.

The liquid was thick and red, almost like syrup.

“What is this?” I asked, downing the rest before setting the cup down.

“Kila,” Suzy said. “Your favorite drink, remember?”

She paused to lift an apple slice to her mouth.

“I wanted to get you something special since you're leaving today.”

I reached for another apple slice but froze at her words.

Leaving?

Did she mean those...Ravers? Or whatever she'd mentioned earlier?

The beasts?

Something about that made me shiver.

Yeah, well,” I said, pretending I knew exactly what I was talking about. “I'm not scared of them.”

Suzy bit her lip and gave me a small smile.

“You will be.”

Her voice was quiet.

“They have a reputation for causing terror among humans. But more so for people like us.”

“Us?” I echoed.

She nodded.

“Yes. Especially with the reputation you carry.”

“And what reputation would that be?” I asked, forcing a teasing tone into my voice.

Suzy suddenly looked down.

“Sorry, sis. I don't mean to offend you.”

She lifted her gaze again.

“I know you're not the villain everyone paints you as. You're sweet and kind. They just don't see you the way I do.”

I opened my mouth, ready to ask exactly what the hell this Catherine girl had done to earn herself such a reputation.

But before I could get the question out, a loud knock echoed through the room.

I jolted upright.

Suzy shot to her feet, her face going pale.

“They're here,” she whispered.

Fear flashed across her eyes.

“The Raver Pack.”