Chapter 15: Personal Guards
Jaden heaved a sigh and lay on the ground with his arm on his head before a curse slipped through his lips.
"Blasted hell..."
He lay there for quite some time to calm himself. Soon, his heartbeat calmed and his thoughts were organised. He slowly stood up from the ground and looked at the camera in his hand.
"Wait... What about Selina?" he muttered with a grim look.
He sharply turned towards the door of his room and left hurriedly with a panicked look plastered all over him.
He suddenly stopped in his steps, and a question slipped out of his lips.
"Where is her room?"
Shaking his head, he walked forward towards the stairs.
"I just have to ask Shelly," he added in a flat tone as he moved towards the head maid’s room.
A moment later, he stood before a wooden door; his face appeared calm, but his heart was gripped with panic. He knocked at the door and waited for answers. Moments passed, but no answer came from the other side. He knocked once again, and as before, no answer came.
His body trembled a little before he heaved a sigh and began to bang at the door with a dark expression. Soon, light came from under the door as it parted open.
Shelly stood at the door. She rubbed her eyes and looked before her. Her brows furrowed slightly upon seeing Jaden, who stood before her in his nightwear, as a relieved expression covered his face.
"Jaden?" she questioned with a puzzled look and stepped out a little.
Jaden looked at Shelly, who stood at the door in her nightgown, with a relieved expression on his face, his lips parted to express concern, but he stopped from unnecessary talk.
"Where is Selina’s room?" he questioned in a grim tone.
Shelly raised an eyebrow as she spoke in her usual tone.
"I don’t think it’s the right time to—" her words, however, were cut short as Jaden placed a hand on her shoulder and questioned in a serious tone.
"We don’t have time for useless chatter, Shelly. Take me to her room, now."
Shelly studied his expression for a moment and nodded as she stepped out and began to walk towards Selina’s room.
The duo walked in silence, as Shelly was not the best with talk, and Jaden was too worried to start any small talk. They took a turn, and at that moment, Jaden saw a maid knocking at a door at the far end of the hallway.
His eyes turned sharp as he placed a hand on Shelly’s shoulder and pointed at the maid. Shelly looked at the maid with a dark expression as she heard Jaden’s question.
"Is that the room?" his voice was low, making sure that no one other than Shelly could hear him.
She nodded her head with a dark expression as she questioned.
"Now?"
He looked at the maid and then at his camera.
’I can just capture it, but...’ he shifted his gaze at Shelly with troubled eyes. He could indeed capture that nightmare, but he didn’t know if it would be the right choice. He didn’t want anyone to find out about his system. At least not until he was strong enough to shut them up from spreading the information.
He continued to look at Shelly as he contemplated his choice. Right then, a soft click echoed within the silent hallway, and soft light from the open door began to illuminate it. The darkness settled within the hallway moved and the face of the maid became clear. She also had the same glassy mist eyes and eerie grin plastered on her face.
After finally making up his mind, he lifted his camera and got ready to capture the damn nightmare; however, before he could do that, a sword pierced the abdomen of the nightmare as it broke into white mystical sparks.
Jaden’s eyes widened, and his mouth hung open as he pointed forward and stuttered while looking at Shelly.
"D-Did you see that?"
Shelly looked at him with her usual expression and gave a slight nod before walking towards Selina’s room with quick steps. He followed behind her with a dumbfounded look on his face.
As they reached the open door, he tucked the camera in his pocket and looked inside with a worried look. His eyes fell on Selina, who stood there in her white nightgown with a disgusted expression on her face.
He suddenly felt all of his worries leave his body as he stepped forward to hug her, but stopped mid way.
’No, not yet... I need to obtain my memories back first.’ He reasoned with himself as he stepped back and looked at Selina with his signature smile.
Selina raised an eyebrow and asked in a confused voice.
"Jaden?"
He gave her a wry smile and scratched the back of his head while responding.
"I worried for nothing, heh."
She blinked her eyes a few times, then smiled and thought.
’At least he is worried about me.’
She looked at him and Shelly before asking.
"What about coming inside?"
Jaden turned to look at Shelly, but frowned when he didn’t see her. He turned his head towards Selina. Surprisingly, Shelly was standing beside her.
’When did she?’ A frown appeared on his face when he saw her move without him noticing.
Seeing his expression, Selina also frowned and questioned in a low, sulking tone.
"Do you not want to?"
Her voice called him out of his thoughts. He looked at her and shook his head before smiling at her and stepping in.
"Of course. I do."
Stepping in, he took a seat at the bed and questioned in a grim tone.
"So... what were those things? You appeared ready to deal with them. As if you have done it countless times before."
Selina’s lips fell in a frown, she nodded at him, and her eyes burned with hateful fury while she answered.
"Those are the nightmares used by the city to take care of unexpected variables."