"AAAAHHHHHHH!" Olivia screamed and bolted toward the worn-out wooden stairs the moment she caught sight of a figure behind the door.
THUD!!!
Her foot accidentally caught on something, sending her sprawling to the ground.
Olivia groaned in pain. She lifted her hand to see her palm bleeding, scraped by the filthy, rough basement floor. She blew on it gently to soothe the sting.
"OUCHHH... OW..."
She struggled to stand up to climb the stairs, but then—
"HELP ME..." the voice from before called out again.
Olivia, still whimpering in pain, suddenly froze. She slowly turned her face toward the dilapidated door.
CREEEAAAakkkkk...
The door, which had been slightly ajar, now slowly creaked open. She squeezed her eyes shut, terrified of what might emerge from that room.
"Help..." the voice echoed faintly.
Slowly, she pried her right eyelid open.
"Eh? There's nothing there," she whispered, fully opening her right eye.
Olivia took a cautious step forward to see what lay behind the door.
As her hand pushed the door open, she caught sight of a young boy. Both of his hands were bound by golden chains, and he was lying across the floor, looking frail.
Olivia's heart seemed to stop. Her eyes widened at the sight. Ignoring the pain in her palm, she rushed toward the boy, her breath coming in ragged gasps.
She shook his body and lightly patted his face to wake him. The boy, weak and limp, parted his lips.
"W... r..." he muttered faintly.
"What?" Olivia asked, leaning her ear closer to his mouth.
"Wa... ter..." he managed to say. Olivia, struggling to catch his words, thought for a moment, trying to piece together what he was saying.
The weak boy opened his eyes and gasped in shock, seeing Olivia so close to him.
He scrambled backward instantly, his shoulders hunched as if preparing for an attack. His movements were like a cornered cat; his back arched defensively while his throat let out a low growl, "Grrrr." His hands trembled as he swiped at the air, a warning for no one to dare come near him.
Watching him, Olivia couldn't help but find that his behavior adorable.
"AWWWWW, YOU'RE SO CUTE!" she exclaimed, reaching her hand out toward him.
The boy looked terrified yet remained on high alert.
"Relax, relax... I'm not here to hit you or hurt you, okay? I just heard a voice coming from this basement," she said, rubbing her hands together because of the damp, cold air of the basement.
The boy remained silent, continuing to back away.
"Are you hungry? Or are you thirsty?" Olivia asked, stepping closer to him. Out of concern, she made a hand gesture for eating.
But the boy didn't answer at all; he only watched Olivia's hand movements.
The moment she made the gesture for drinking, the boy's eyes lit up. He then nodded quickly.
"Ohhh, you're thirsty," Olivia said. She stood up and told him, "Wait a moment, okay?" She held up both palms to signal him to stay put.
She dashed up the worn-out stairs, returning to the Aethelgard estate. She carefully fetched some water from the kitchen, making sure not to disturb or wake the servants before she headed off to bed. After grabbing a bottle of water, she slipped out quietly and ran back to where she had fallen earlier.
Once she reached the basement again, she handed the water to the boy. He finished the drink in one go with incredible speed.
Sitting in front of him, Olivia was momentary stunned.
"You really were thirsty," she mumbled softly, still amazed by how fast he had gulped down the water.
Once the bottle was empty, the boy slowly turned his face away. His voice was soft, almost drowned out by the silence of the basement.
"T-thank you..." he whispered, his eyes quickly darting away to avoid Olivia's gaze.
Olivia's heart was touched. Seeing him so neglected yet still trying to be defensive made her feel a mix of endearment and sorrow. She felt as if she wanted to tuck him into her pocket just to keep him from being hurt again.
Olivia smiled gently as she took the empty bottle, lowering herself so she wouldn't seem threatening.
"You're welcome," Olivia replied softly. She then gathered the courage to ask, "What's your name? May I know?" Olivia pushed further, unable to contain her curiosity.
The boy remained as still as a statue, his sharp eyes staring directly at her. He didn't answer, letting the suffocating silence fill the damp basement.
After a long pause, he finally spoke, but his tone was as cold as cracking ice.
"Why do you need to know?" he asked coldly. He pulled his chained hands further away, as if Olivia's presence was a great threat. "You're just like the rest of them. You come here, pretend to be kind, and then... you torture."
Olivia was stunned. She realized that this boy wasn't just scared—he carried a deep trauma and a great secret hidden behind those golden chains.
With a heavy heart, Olivia spoke back, "Sorry, I didn't mean to ask something sensitive. But I really only came here to help, not to hurt you." Her face was filled with sorrow. "I'm sorry, okay?"
The boy remained silent, watching Olivia's eyes intensely.
"...um," the boy muttered, his expression shifting between anger and a hint of guilt.
"Yes? What is it?" Olivia asked with a smile.
The boy tried to open his mouth, but it was as if the words were too heavy to speak.
"It's okay, you don't have to talk if you don't want to. I won't force you," she said, leaning on her knees to help herself stand.
The boy remained motionless as he listened to her words.
Olivia sighed deeply. A sense of disappointment washed over her because she still didn't know the name of the person she had just helped. However, she knew she couldn't force him. Before leaving, she turned back one last time.
"If you don't want to tell me now, that's fine," Olivia said softly, trying to hide her sadness.
She slowly extended her hand, a sincere gesture of friendship. "But... would you like to be my friend?"
The boy fell silent. The golden chains around his wrists clinked softly—the only sound breaking the silence of the basement.
He looked up slowly, gazing at Olivia with an expression that was hard to read.
"Why?" his voice was raspy, as if it hadn't been used in a long time.
Olivia gave a small smile, trying to show her sincerity in the dim basement light. "Because... I just want to be your friend."
Olivia tried to catch the boy's eyes, but her efforts were in vain. Thick, silver hair covered almost his entire face, hanging down below his nose, hiding whatever secrets lay behind his gaze.
Driven by curiosity, Olivia reached out, wanting to brush aside the thick hair. But before her fingers could touch even a single strand, her hand was harshly swiped away by the boy.
Olivia startled. Her already injured hand throbbed from the rough rejection. However, what hurt more was seeing the boy's face turn pale, as if he were fighting for his very life.
The boy's breathing became short and sharp. His chest heaved, and cold sweat began to bead on his forehead. He crawled toward the darkest corner, distancing himself as if Olivia were the most dangerous predator.
"DON'T COME NEAR ME!" he shouted, his voice echoing loudly for someone inside a basement. He clutched his chest as it rose and fell rapidly, his entire body drenched in sweat.
Olivia moved her small body closer, intending to help him.
But her heart ached when the boy pushed her hand away and ordered her to leave.
"But... you..." Olivia started, sounding anxious.
"Go!! Get out!!" the boy yelled, leaning his body against the corner of the room while clutching his chest.
Olivia stood frozen. Her heart stung as her sincere help was met with a forced departure. She wanted to help, but seeing him crawling in fear while clutching his chest, Olivia knew she had to leave.
Filled with a mix of disappointment and guilt, Olivia dashed out of the basement.
"I'll be back!" Olivia cried out determinedly, even though her heart was breaking at the sight of him.
"Don't..." the boy whispered.
But his small voice was drowned out by the sound of Olivia's footsteps as she ran far away.
The boy's groans of pain still echoed in Olivia's ears. She looked back but felt helpless because of her small stature.
Before leaving the area, she managed to close the basement entrance even though it was broken, carefully arranging dry leaves over it to hide the secret door.
Afterward, she ran back into the Aethelgard estate. An immense sense of guilt weighed heavily on Olivia's heart.
However, unbeknownst to her, from a glass window, a pair of eyes was watching Olivia's every move from a distance with a sharp gaze.
A sinister smile curled on the lips of the mysterious figure.
"Hmm, just as expected," he whispered softly.
To be continued…