Curse Mark

Nathan has been patrolling the south wing of Liberum since Aubrey Hart"s arrival. He's just making sure that everything is fine but...

There was a girl unconsciously lying on the ground and the familiarity with her clothes makes him call a lot of guards to assist him to take the body inside the castle. He hurriedly walks to his brother's office to only found nothing. He sighs and walks impatiently where Aubrey is located and then he found his brother beside the sleeping Aubrey, cleaning his sword, watching over her.

Theodore felt his presence, putting his attention on his brother. "Is there any problem?"

"There's a person who dressed like the Hart, she's laying on the ground unconsciously on the south wing earlier, I ordered someone to take her here," Nathan said.

Aubrey opened her eyes as she heard the conversation between the two. It perks her attention to the mention of her clothes.

"My school uniform?" She muttered, confused.

"I didn't bring anyone besides Aubrey Francis Hart and it is impossible for a mortal to cross our world without the first Hart's pendant," Theodore said.

"I thought about it too, then how did she get in here?" Nathan explained, peering his gaze at his brother.

"Asphyxia..." Theodore said and suddenly they heard a knock and Nathan knows that this might be the guard he instructed.

Nathan opened the door and the guards did what they have been instructed, laying the girl carefully on the bed before making their way out not forgetting to bow at them.

Theodore looks at the girl and then he looks at Aubrey, meeting her gaze.

"She is the girl you were with last time," Theodore said.

"She's Mae... She's my friend." Aubrey said.

"We need to know how she gets here but for now—" Nathan looks at Mae and then to Theodore putting a stern expression, "—She's an enemy."

Mae wakes up from an itchy feeling lingering on her neck. She felt that someone is looking at her and she saw Aubrey with a bandage on her shoulder, sitting on the other side of the room on her bed.

"How are you feeling?" Aubrey asked in a soft voice. Mae looks at her dumbly not used to Aubrey's calm voice.

It is always full of sarcasm.

"I'm good. How about you—wait—your dad!" Mae said when sudden memories from earlier flood her mind.

"I know" Aubrey muttered and glance in Mae's direction once again. "Do you know where you are?"

"Don't make a fool of me, we are in a hospital" Mae said, crossing her arms.

Suddenly, Theodore and Nathan showed up with food in their hands. Nathan bowed on Aubrey first before placing their foods on the table while he glared at Mae before handing her food.

Before Mae can swallow her food, Nathan told her to speak and she awkwardly pointed herself for assurance that he is referring to her. "Yes, you!"

"Hi?" Mae said not knowing what to say specifically and unaware of what is happening.

Aubrey prevents herself from cracking up and Theodore prevented her by glaring at her.

"Don't play dumb or else I'll kill you. Why are you here?" Nathan asked seriously.

"Aubrey, what is he talking about?" Mar asked not knowing what is Nathan hinting at as she stared at him dumbfounded. "I-I'm injured! That's why I'm here in the hospital" she said trying to reason out but she realized that the room doesn't even look like a hospital. "Or not?" She said now unsure, scratching her neck from nervousness.

"Don't you remember anything after you passed out?" Aubrey asked.

Mae looks so puzzled about what they are saying. She rubs her pointing finger on her temple as if it helps her to remember some of the memories of what happened.

"I came to your house to check up on you since you came with this guy—"she said pointing to Theodore, "—I want to make sure that you came home... And when I entered your house, it is wrecked... And your dad..."

Mae cut herself and look at Aubrey with sympathy. "I called an ambulance to take your dad and suddenly someone kicked my brand new phone and stepped on it until it turns to dust. Do you know how much is that?" Mae asked imagining how her mom will beat her.

"I don't care about your phone," Aubrey said, rolling her eyes. "What happened next?"

"I don't know how I passed out after that, everything seems so vivid, I can't remember what happened. I just woke up and here I am!" She said and look at Aubrey's eyes convincing her that she's telling the truth.

"Are you sure that you can't remember anything?" Aubrey asked and Mae just nodded.

"Then, what happened to your neck?" Nathan asked. All of their attention turns to Mae's neck that she keeps on scratching.

"I don't know. Why? Is there something on my neck?" Mae asked. "Don't tell me it's a hickey?!"

"No dumbass, you don't have a boyfriend. Keep dreaming" Aubrey said.

"Keep talking as if you have one" Mae uttered, showing a smug expression.

"Dumbass"

"Prick"

"Bastard"

"Fuckta—"

They heard an unsheathing of a sword and they both look at Theodore who's looking so pissed as he points his sword at them. "Keep blabbering nonsense words and I'll slit your throats"

They both gulped and immediately close their mouth. Mae wanders her eyes on the room and it hits her that she's really not in a hospital as it doesn't look close to a hospital. She furrowed her brows at Aubrey trying to figure out what's wrong but she has given up because her head hurts.

"What time is it?" Mae asked.

"Why?"

"I'm going home, duh. My mom will freak out if she didn't found me in the house on time" she said and walk in the door's direction hastily. She touched the doorknob and gonna twist it when Nathan trapped her on the wall, looking at her sharply when his eyes go down through her neck.

"K-Kabedon?"Mae whispered as she felt flustered from the sudden act.

"A mark" Nathan mumbled not taking his eyes off her neck.

"H-Hey..."

"What mark?" Theodore asked.

"A cursed mark," Nathan said gracing his fingers on the mark to distinguish it. "And I don't know anything about it"

"What do you mean?" Theodore asked, confused.

"I don't know if it is something good or bad but if this is from our enemy, then it is up for no good," Nathan said maintaining his sharp gaze to Mae before going back to his original position. "You can't go back home"

"Why?! You can't just tell me everything like that and expect me to obey you. I'm my own person, I will decide for my own!" Mae said too fed up with the situation. She gonna twist the doorknob once more but this time, it is not Nathan who trapped him, It's Theodore's sword lingering on her neck.

"Don't move if you do not want to die" Theodore said and from his tone, he's not kidding. Mae gulped and sweats are starting to form on her forehead.

"Theodore, you don't have to be so harsh on her. She's still my friend." Aubrey said trying to save Mae from fright.

"Liberum's safety is at stake here. I can't just let her go" Theodore said trying to reason out.

"Yes, I know. She didn't know everything so we should explain the situation first. Even if I don't want Mae to be involved here, she is now. So trust me in this, Theodore. She's not an enemy" Aubrey said. They exchange glances before Theodore sighs, putting his sword down before it disappears from thin air.

"What's going on, Aubrey" Mae asked.

"Long story short, you cannot go home for now..." Aubrey said trying not to freak her friend out as she search for the right word for her to understand.

"We're not in our world"

Silence engulfed the room before Mae laugh so hard and when she saw that everyone is not joking around, she freak out.

"WHAT?!"