Odelliana gaped at Matthias, her bewilderment quickly morphing into a cold dread. He said nothing, simply continued walking, his steps unhurried, his expression unreadable.
An emptiness settled in her stomach. In that terrifying display, she hadn’t just been saved. She’d been reminded – the boy who looked human was the most terrifying monster.
Even if he looks young, a beast is still a beast…
Matthias hadn’t lifted a finger, yet a pack of monstrous beasts had cowered before him. It defied logic. How could someone who’d been pummeled by a bunch of kids now exude such terrifying power?
“Night travel is dangerous,” Matthias’s voice cut through her thoughts. “I’ll escort you back.”
Odelliana blinked, yanked back to the present. The urgency of her situation flooded back. She had a purpose for coming here, and she couldn’t afford to be sidetracked. A self-conscious laugh escaped her lips.
I can’t leave things as it is.
Steeling herself, she lifted her chin. “Actually,” she began, “I’m a stranger here, lost and without a place to stay. Would it be possible to stay at your place… for the night?”
Heat crept up her neck as the words left her mouth. Stay at his place? It sounded brazen, even foolish. True, Matthias might look young, but his age belied a dangerous strength. Inviting herself into a stranger’s home was reckless.
“A place filled with men,” his voice held a hint of amusement, a flash of white teeth in the dim light, “and you want to stay there?”
Odelliana couldn’t help but let out a small scoff. This supposed threat coming from the boy who’d just dominated monstrous creatures felt more playful than menacing.
“Surely anything is better than sleeping on the streets,” she countered, a hint of defiance in her voice. “Besides, the dangers seem far greater on the road than at your place.”
She paused, letting her words hang in the air. “Honestly,” she continued, pressing her point, “is there anywhere truly safe around here?”
Objectively, his home was the safest option.
The mountains offered no sanctuary. Wild beasts stalked these slopes, monstrous shadows lurking in the darkness. Bandits and worse roamed these lawless paths. Sleeping outside alone was a recipe for disaster.
People here didn’t band together without reason. To be solitary was to paint a target on oneself, especially for those who were deemed vulnerable. This unforgiving world showed no mercy to women or the weak.
In fact, Matthias is perhaps the safest option around here in that regard.
Rumors swirled about his disinterest in women, some whispering a dark secret, others a morbid preference. Regardless, he wouldn’t harass her. In this harsh reality, that made him a rare kind of safe.
“Perhaps it’s too much to ask,” she began, voice trailing off.
An outsider in his world, unlikely to breach the fiercely guarded ‘territory’ he’d carved out. He slept alone, wouldn’t share his belongings, kept everyone at arm’s length. Inviting a stranger, a woman no less, into his personal space seemed unthinkable. Even feigning a limp, a pathetic ploy, wouldn’t sway him.
Her request, a desperate lifeline, held little hope of success.
Yet, to her surprise, Matthias met her gaze and offered a curt nod.
“Then I will take you to my home.”
Odelliana blinked, stunned. “You… you’d do that?”
“Leaving you here isn’t an option.”
He scooped her up again and turned towards the cluster of ramshackle buildings that dotted the landscape.
