Chapter 5: Drown to Live

Joining a group of individuals who battled against the werewolves and who had the ability to demonstrate extraordinary abilities that regular people or even the armed forces were unable to match was such a once in a lifetime chance that I couldn't even conceive the possibility of being offered to join.

Also, I pondered the motives of the CEO in asking me to join the organization, given that I do not even have a background in martial arts and that I could not even withstand the electric charge that he discharged at me a while ago.

Is this a trap?

As I considered how to respond to the offer, I clenched my fingers on the armrests of the seats and took several deep then shallow breaths.

"What if I don't want to join?" A piece of me is holding out hope that there is yet a way out, which is why I asked.

"Then I'll shatter this ring in a fire hot enough to utilize the resulting ash as a building block for something stronger, like a sword. What do you think?" he responded in a brisk manner, expressing his dominance with a similar sneer and keeping his chin up the whole time, without blinking.

After drumming my fingers on the arm chair, I pushed my lips together and let out an exasperated sigh. I observed as he pretended to be a child tinkering with his toy by spinning the ring around her fingers. It was impossible for me to refrain from wondering what it was about the ring that piqued his interest in it. Maybe he had some information that I didn't have, obviously. The fact that he was always willing to make a trade in order to get this ring has increased my level of interest in it.

Is joining werewolf hunters really worth the risk? I wonder if I should continue studying and working hard for my brother if joining will really happen.

“Fine,” I frown. I then added with a phony grin, "Give me that ring first, and I'll tell you I'm joining." I held out my hand, expecting him to place the ring on my palm even though I knew he wouldn't.

The CEO grabbed another swivel chair and sat in front of me. He let out a sarcastic laughter just enough for the two of us to hear. “What’s with this ring that made you interested? Perhaps, that means you also suspected something different from this ring, am I right?”

Oh…

I stopped still in my chair and stared at him with wide eyes. I was caught off guard. I was surprised that he had such a similar outlook to mine. Now that we're both looking at each other, I'm not sure which of us should take off first.

I backed away and got to my feet. I straightened my clothes and ran in his direction, trying to snag the ring from his fingers, but by the time I turned around, he was already behind me. He obtained my wrists behind my back and pulled straight up from my waist, forcing me to the floor.

It seemed like someone was pressing on my heart and stomach, and I couldn't help but scream at the top of my lungs. Even my voice box gave forth an unintended cracking noise.

It just took a few minutes, but now I'm staggering out of the WDC Building. My movement resembled an elderly lady without a cane. To avoid seeming like someone who had gotten into trouble, I brushed my hair and yawned to wake my senses up. Guards were standing close by, eyes peeled for an opportunity to pounce, and I was close enough to the office workers to almost collide with them.

“Hey, hey! Young lady, be careful!”

It took me a while to realize that the non-cement I had stepped in was in fact a pool, and by the time I did, the elderly guy was done screaming at me. After sinking farther and keeping up the shout, I looked down and saw that I was swimming alongside the elderly guy. The guy was attempting to get me out of the water, but I grabbed onto his wrist instead!

From the higher waterfloor, I could hear people screaming for help from above, and their reflection was visible even in the smallest wave. The janitor's uniformed elderly man's eyes were shutting. Minimal oxygen bubbles could be seen emerging from his mouth.

He had been clinging to my sleeves at first, but he was now drifting further away from me. It was urgent that I grab his hand. I could feel the water creeping closer and closer to my mouth, nose, and lungs until it was near enough to make me feel like I was about to drown.

I felt my eyelids getting heavy and my heart racing.

I woke up suddenly as I felt myself sinking deeper into the pool and my eardrums were almost shattered. I can feel my eyes getting clearer all of a sudden—I can’t see traces of water touching my pupils. My lungs are filling up with oxygen. It's as if the water's motion is being transformed into a life-giving air that I can feel filling my lungs.

Why is the sky so blue and the clouds so clear?

Isn't it about time someone helped us get our feet back on the ground?

My heart raced as I scanned the area and noticed the man was on the verge of collapsing onto the ground. I swam towards him, but suddenly I froze in my tracks. My body felt weightless and my movements felt unsteady. I didn't have any trouble moving through the waters.

It could be my survival instinct, I guess.

With my thoughts racing, I hurried towards the old man and lifted him up with trembling arms. I quickly swam towards the surface where I could see people getting ready to help us. They grabbed the man's arms and gave him assistance. The medical workers have arrived. I managed to get off from the pool by myself, even though there were people who tried to help me.

The personnel I saw in the company's formal uniforms wore vintage garb very similar to that of the guy I met a while back with the CEO. The elderly janitor himself wasn't wearing his maintenance uniform. There was a lot of greenery, flowers, and plants there, the kind of stuff I don't get to see often in our place. The high-rises were turned into dwellings with plant leaves and bamboo or banana leaves used to create homes like a nut with a more rustic appearance.

For split seconds, I wondered, Where am I?

My jaw hung wide as I swiveled my head to take in the surroundings. When a medical worker came along to offer assistance, I didn't hesitate to take advantage of the situation.

“Where’s this place?”

The medical worker, who was now dressed in layers upon layers of garments reaching from her wrist fowling to her ankles, smiled ominously as her reply.