Mr. Sloan 1

After an hour, Eliana did not give the expected signs. She was being watched every second but as time wore on, their gaze at her started to change and soften while she glared at them.

"You are free to go, Miss Kim," the policeman who had cuffed her walked into the detention room and uncuffed her. "We are sorry for the misunderstanding."

"This was not a misunderstanding, Officer, if it was, you would be explaining to me why you fed me a drug and cuffed me without a reason," Eliana scoffed and walked out of the station.

Getting to her car, she started driving but after driving for about five minutes on the road, she started to feel unease settle in on her. Her body became sweaty and her vision blurred. Her foot slammed on the brakes and the car instantly halted. The cars driving behind her either came to a screeching halt or swayed to the other lane and drove off but none of that was noticed by Eliana.

She unfastened the seatbelt and opened the door. The car had become too suffocating and everything around her was spinning. She stepped out hugging her body, feeling cold and shivery. She couldn't take more than two steps and lost her balance as she fell to the hard ground still hugging herself.

She had no idea what was happening but she knew it had to be because of the pill that was fed to her. The people in the cars that had stopped just her watched her acting strange. A few of them came out to help her but stopped and receded into their cars when she let out a cry of anguish and the earth shook along with it.

Helios who stood at a distance away watching her. He was about to leave thinking she was alright and only just a human when he saw the car stop and she came out hugging herself. Her cry and the earth's vibration had him standing before her within a blink of an eye, still invisible to the human eyes. He stared at her and found her the same way she was but he was now certain that there was nothing about her that was normal.

The most surprising thing was how long she lasted before the bane took effect. It had been known to have instant effect but here she was, more than an hour before the signs could be seen. But even at that, he couldn't tell what she was. There were no visible signs that would tell that she was either a witch or a demon or perhaps some other creature.

He looked at the people who were just watching and clicked his tongue in distaste. "Humans," he muttered. He stooped down beside her and saw her look up at him and he knew she could see him.

"Help," Eliana said, her voice, barely above a whisper.

He reached for her cheek and touched it, her skin was hot yet she was shivering from cold. These were two different signs that one person should not experience, she was experiencing them.

"As you wish," he replied and touched her forehead with a finger and her eyes closed as she lost consciousness. Everything went still and silent before he scooped her up in his arms. "Raye," he called and the phantom appeared behind him with his head lowered. "You have two minutes," he stated.

"I understand, My Lord," Raye replied and Helios was gone with Eliana.

***

Regaining her consciousness, Eliana found herself in an unfamiliar space and sat up abruptly. Her eyes scanned her surroundings and she found it unbelievable. She thought she was kidnapped but no kidnapper would take his captive to a place that screamed wealth and extravagance. Even the bed she was on was bigger than what she had at her apartment, yet she called it big.

From the marble walls and tiles on the ground to the furniture that was neatly arranged in the corner, it was all of the highest quality.

"Where the hell am I now?" She wondered out loud. This had to be the most bizarre thing that had ever happened to her. There had never been an occasion where she would wake in an unfamiliar environment like this.

She took deep breaths and focused her mind. She tried to recall the events of last night and to her surprise, it was all there, everything, right from her encounter with the police who fed her an unknown pill to the discomfort that washed over her while driving and then finally, that man…

She rose to her feet and made her way to the door. This must be that man's home. He was the last person she saw before losing consciousness. She reached for the doorknob but it was opened before her hand could reach it and she stepped back immediately to avoid being hit by it.

"You are alive?!" The maid who opened the door exclaimed. This had to be the only woman their master had brought home who lived to see the next day.

Eliana saw a maid standing with a shocked expression but her brows knitted together upon hearing her choice of words. Was she thought to be dead? She wondered. "How did I get here?" She inquired, trying not to think much about the maid's words.

"You do not remember?" The maid asked and Eliana shook her head. Her eyes went wide once again but she took a step back. "I will get the butler," she said and ran off before Eliana could utter a word.

Eliana blinked and watched her go, looking lost. The maid's actions were strange and it made her rethink if she was safe there or not. A moment later, Eliana saw a man whom she thought to be in his late fifties walking towards her with the maid she had seen earlier beside him. Even the man looked surprised to see her standing there and her frown deepened.

"Good morning, Miss," he greeted. He looked past her inside the room as if to make sure that where she stood was the place that he knew.

"Good morning. May I know how I came here and where this is?" she asked. At least he was not running off although his behavior was strange too.

"Have breakfast prepared for the lady," the butler said to the maid. She nodded and gave a small bow, casting one last glance at Eliana, she left. "I am Charles, Mr. Sloan's Butler," he introduced himself. He still found it unbelievable that there was indeed a woman in the master's bedroom and she was still alive. No woman ever walked in there and left alive. From what he heard, this one didn't even walk inside, she was carried in by the master while she was unconscious.

"Mr. Sloan?" Eliana asked. The name was familiar but she could not quite remember where she heard it before. "Where is he?"