Claimed (3)

"Good idea." She laughed. It was not because she found it funny, but she considered stabbing a knife right through his dark heart. She wondered whether it would kill him. Everything about him was strange and he might as well be a witch or someone with supernatural powers. How troublesome.

As they made their way back into the mansion, she wondered how he interacted with the rest of the world. He must have a way to leave the island. Perhaps she could make him talk about it?

"What are you thinking about?" He asked when she almost hit her head against a pillar.

She frowned at his insane question. Was she not allowed to think anymore? Was he trying to imply that now that he was claiming her, her thoughts should belong to him as well? How crazy!

"How did you really save me?" She asked to strike up a conversation.

Instead of answering her, he led her through a hallway with a grin. "Why would you suddenly think about that?"

"I didn't expect to get out of there alive, you know." She held back her gasp when the hallway seemed endless. No wonder she was so tired that she almost fainted when she walked around it earlier. It was so large that the thought of there only being one occupant was scary. However, he was no ordinary man. It would be scarier if there was anyone willing to live under the same roof with him. Ignoring her thoughts, she continued talking about the day she drowned. "When I saw that wave and when the storm happened, I was certain that I was going to die. I didn't even hold onto any strand of hope. It was shocking to wake up alive."

He smiled after hearing her entire explanation. "It's only right for one to be curious about such things. It's getting cold, don't you think? Let's talk about it at the fireplace."

She nodded, glad that he did not dismiss her.

It was indeed getting colder by the second, probably because the sun had set. The breeze made her hug her arms as he threw a bunch of wood pieces into the fireplace and lit it.

She sat down even before she was asked to, and the warmth from the fire made her feel much better.

"It's going to be a long tale and might take a lot of your time." He warned.

"That's okay. It's not like I have anything else to do here anyway." If anything, she wanted him to give as much information as he could.

"Would you like to drink something?" He offered, and she nodded. "Blood?"

"Blood?" She felt grossed out.

"Oh? I thought you might be a vampire or a demoness. Wine?" He changed the option.

"Can I have water?" She didn't want some strange drink that might intoxicate her before she found a way to leave this place.

He nodded and disappeared into a room she guessed to be the kitchen, then returned with an empty glass.

"Where's…" Before she could ask about the water, the glass filled up on its own and she was suddenly unsure whether she still wanted to drink water.

Setting it aside, she urged him to start what he had said to be a long tale.

"I mentioned that I was hanging out on Cannon Island on the day you drowned, didn't I?" He started, sitting beside her as she nodded. "I was on the table beside you and your friends, I heard you planning to go diving and to the Caves of Cannon."

She was surprised, unaware that someone was eavesdropping on them. Such a coincidence?

"When the storm happened, I heard the crew do a headcount and they realized that one group was missing—your group. I set off to find you since I already knew where to find you." He looked at her and she was looking back at him with a pair of eyes glistening with hope. He hated to break it to her, "I managed to get the sea to wash the other four onto land. However, you had gone too deep and I had to follow you—all the way into the enchanted circle. You were on your last breath when I found you."

She should be happy that she was saved from the brink of death, but she wasn't. To be exact, she didn't know whether she was happy or sad. Since there was only enough time to go after one person, part of her wished he would have gone after Vivian instead.

"Things don't always go the way we want them to." He pulled her head onto his shoulder. "It was inevitable. Are you and Vivian so close?"

She didn't want to talk about her personal matters with him, but since she wanted him to talk, she could only nod and answer him. "She is closer than a sister to me."

He nodded, not knowing what else to say about it. "If it makes you feel better, she didn't drown in this sea, nor did any animal eat her. I feed the animals of this sea, so they have no desire for human flesh."

She believed him even though the words he had uttered sounded far-fetched. If he could make the water play music, then it was not impossible for him to feed the fish and sharks.

"Are you a superhero of sorts?" She asked, referring to how he had taken it upon himself to save her group.

He shook his head. "I was just minding my own business."

She couldn't comprehend how it was his business to rescue people from drowning if he was not a superhero, but she didn't ask. What she wanted to know more was, "So, is this Clarepar Sea?" She was hopeful for an affirmative answer, since she knew that it was not impossible to get back to Efinchil as long as they were near Clarepar Sea.

To her chagrin, he shook his head. "It's my territory. You probably haven't ever heard of it. Perhaps your friend has but you, impossible."

He stood when he was done speaking. "I'll make you something to eat."

She stood up after him when his words sunk in. "Wait. How did you know that?"

He tilted his head to glance at her. "Isn't it obvious? Your friend was obsessed with the sea. She even knows about the Wandering Islands. Don't give me that shocked look, I heard her talk about it before the storm."

"The Wandering Islands…" Her voice lowered to a whisper. While on the cruise ship, she saw an island which disappeared within seconds. She had thought that she hallucinated before but was it possible that she really saw the Wandering Islands? According to Dairon, Vivian was right. The Wandering Islands that were said to be enchanted really did exist! "Is that where we are?"

"Aren't you too imaginative?" He chuckled. "No we aren't."

He left before she could ask about their exact location. He must be scared that it would give her an idea of how to leave.

Although he claimed to be going to make her dinner, she saw him leave through the front door and followed him out in panic. "Where are you going?"

She would rather have this bizarre man around than be by herself in an unknown place.

He glanced at her face that was full of fear and cupped her cheek gently. "Don't be scared. I'm only going to get some ingredients to prepare your dinner." Rubbing his thumb against her cheek, he stepped back and walked towards the sea at a speed that almost made it seem like he was floating.

The words "I'm coming with you" stuck against her throat as he walked into the sea, parting sections of water to make way for himself with each step he took. At some point, the sea had formed large curves around him, making him appear like a small figure in blue and it made her wonder what would happen if all that water came crashing down. He would die from the impact. On second thought, he was no ordinary man. He would probably order the sea around and it would let him off.

How lucky he was, she thought. If only she were able to part the water and stride through like that.

While she watched, he returned with fish and lobster.

"How about sea food for dinner?" He asked when he was in front of her. "If you don't like it, I can cook whatever you like."

"I would like homemade noodles." She responded, doubting he knew how to make noodles.

"You got it. Keep warm in front of the fire and wait for a while." He instructed and disappeared into the kitchen.

He actually knew how to make noodles! She was pleasantly surprised. Not because she was craving them, but because it took long to make them.

Ensuring that he had gone to the kitchen, she crept out of the house and stared into the sea.