Chapter fifty

Bethany gasped loudly, lifting herself and feeling something stuck in her throat causing her to choke and cough so hard in an attempt to free herself from it.

She held her throat tight since it was becoming too painful for her but immediately it stopped.

She gulped hard and blinked before looking around her surrounding, her gaze went up and she met a disfigured face of a man wearing a black cloak, causing her mouth to fall wide open.

"Close it or you won't know what will enter this time."

"Who...who...who are you?" She stuttered, her gaze still fixed on the deformed face.

"I'm Yun. You're in my home."

Bethany gulped and looked around the whole place. It was made up of trees, and bamboo. Palm fronds above her, brown sand beneath her.

She looked back at the strange person, deciding to ask the logical question. "What are you?"

"We are Xondras. Once an important part of the nation but now cast aside. Unimportant." He said with anger laced in his voice.

Bethany nodded deciding not to care. "Okay, so where am I? Where are my friends?"

"Friends? Probably alive or dead somewhere."

Bethany frowned. "What? How...how did I get here? I don't remember..."

"You were attacked almost getting to the main city of Weredom, we saved you."

Bethany shook her head. "But I don't remember that."

"That's because you didn't know you were attacked. A dart containing a powerful toxin was thrown at you."

Bethany gaped. "Then my friends..."

"Probably dead."

Bethany shook her head, her eyes bulged in horror. "No!" She got up from the bamboo-made bed. "No, I need to find them."

As she was about to walk away, Yun held her causing her to snatch her hand away. "Thank you for saving me but I need to leave."

"You won't know your way out."

"And why wouldn't I?"

"Because you're not anywhere near the main city. You'll have to journey for five days if not more to get there."

Bethany scowled. "What? Five days? Are you saying I've been with you for five days?"

"I'll rather say you've been asleep for five days, throughout the journey to the Xondras abode."

Bethany bit her lower lip, looking away in deep thought. One way or another she has to leave. She can't stay with the freak especially when she doesn't even know if he's lying or not. "I'll... I'll still find my way out."

"There are so many traps, only a Xondra can show you the safe way out. But for now, you need to relax." Yun urged.

Bethany stared at him with a frown evident on her face. How can she relax when Richard and Xander are out there? What if they're kidnapped or worse killed?

"Do you...do you know who attacked us?" She questioned.

"We the Xondras were just passing by when we saw you guys in need. We could only help you and we brought you here." He explained.

Bethany looked away still finding things odd. They alas got to the main city only for her to wake up in a different place and front of a strange person.

Although, she was told there are so many strange creatures but wow, did she have to end up alone in front of one?

She turned and walked toward the entrance of the bamboo house. There were people...no, strange beings around, their eyes all dropping on her, some hiding their faces.

Their faces were all deformed. Men, women, and even children.

Some men arrived from the forest in front of the settlement with all kinds of mouthwatering fruits, placing them on a large table, some women cooking with a big black pot with firewood underneath.

They all looked away deciding to focus on what they were doing.

"What are you, people? Your faces..."

"Wasn't always like this. We were cursed."

Bethany looked at Yun. "Cursed? Why?" She asked in curiosity, even though she knew it wasn't her business.

"An accidental mistake. A very long story and the curse has followed us for close to two decades."

Bethany gaped in surprise. "Who has the power to curse you guys to this extent for something accidental?"

"They are called the Light but they are no Light."

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Richard's eyes opened wide and he jumped off the bed, spiraling as he wondered where he was. He walked toward the door and pushed it open with a lot of force that could have broken the door down.

Something happened. He knew something did and it was out of nowhere. His body could feel it, his wolf could feel it.

He matched down the stairs and met Xander drinking some soup whose scent was mindblowing. "Xander!"

Xander stood up and looked at him. "You're awake too. I've been waiting."

"What the hell happened, where are we?" He looked around. "Where's Bethany?"

"Bethany?" He heard a familiar voice. "You were on the journey with Bethany?"

Richard turned, his eyes widened at the person. "Amelia?"