ᴀʙꜱᴛʀᴀᴄᴛ [UNDER EDITING]

1. PREY [EDITED]

"[name]!"

You heard the familiar sound of her tone, the saccharine-like concern when you're not with her by her side. "Where are you going? Don't you know that place is dangerous!" Her figure was barely a speck over the looming forest. Let her be worried, as if you didn't know her real motives by pretending to be a sweet little thing.

Holding a wooden weaved basket full of common and uncommon herbs while standing in front of the trees that seem to engulf your tiny frame. "I know what I'm doing. The plant I'm looking for is in there. I'll be back, so go on ahead of me." Dismissing her with a wave of your hand, you went further into the path that seemed to lead you to the unknown.

The edge of your lips curled to a mocking smile, that so-called friend of yours was nothing, but a two-faced conniving bitch who thought she could play you by giving you some pity. Being the weakest of your siblings, you've seen the disguise of disgust so much more than kindness. People like that— They always disgusted you.

Pretending to be righteous as if giving charity was something you should be grateful for.

It was better off if that girl didn't come back to keep jumping in front of you like a white lotus. You preferred to deal with straightforward people who were direct with what they wanted, because it took less time to deal with their vagueness. Taking a breath of relief, you continued your destination to the small lake you had found a couple weeks ago.

The first time, you weren't very willing to help the stranger without being benefited at all. Making a deal with a stranger wasn't good for a first impression, not to mention alone in the forbidden forest. It wasn't forbidden, it was just a hunting ground with wild animals. At first, you had mistook him for a hunter who was being cornered by a large tiger.

Should you be glad you happened to chance upon a mutant variant? You didn't really want to step in, but the man was at the end of his wits to make a deal with you. That pelt would look so nice once you've sold it, but for now you probably had to hold up the end of your deal by saving him.

There wouldn't be much detail in this whole story other than you saving his ass while he was completely embarrassed to find out that you— a girl not even of age yet, had saved him like a helpless lamb for slaughter.

Your eyes scrutinize him, taking note that he was recovering quicker than an average man who had been severely injured by the mutant beast. The bandages were lighter of pink, no longer indicating that his wounds were serious as they were before. That meant you wouldn't have to deal with this... man.

He gave you the kill so you had to do your end of the deal of helping him recover these serious wounds. There was a rule in society that you had to obey when you were in public or under the eyes to pretend that you were some righteous obedient good girl. The less people knew, the more unruly you were better off being.

"This is my last trip."

You announced, making it aware to the other party that you wouldn't come here to take care of him. Honestly, if it wasn't the fact that he made a deal with you— You probably would not even give him a glance, much less save him for the account of believing he might have been beneficial to your own interest.

The navy haired male bit his lip nervously, "I'm not fully recovered—" You raised a brow at his behavior, that clinginess was something you didn't like in people. "We agreed on you covering enough to be able to walk on your own. Reneging on our deal?" Your [e/c] eyes slid over him with a look of disgust.

"Should you have the nerve to say that to someone who could very well kill you?"

The young man grimaced, fully aware that you were right, but he wasn't very keen on letting you go. Honestly, you weren't like the others— Ah how shitty it was hearing this cliché sentence overall.

This stupid misogynic society.

In the midst of your thoughts, you made a poor excuse, and pretended to hack out heavy coughs. To which you stood up abruptly as the basket fell out of your lap. "Mister, I got to go! I'll see you next time," You managed to spit out as you left in a hurry while coughing dramatically.

While leaving, he had only a few conflicted thoughts. "Wait—!" He whispered, his yellow eccentric eyes grieving as though he was abandoned like a child left on the side of the road.

Was it your warm personality? Or your stubbornness that beats every obstacle from interfering? The way you were too curious about things that do not concern you, and yet— You still seem to manage to be there without an issue.

...Hello? What was warm about your personality? If you were here, you would be shaking your head at how delusional he was behaving.

The man shut his eyes, his heart was cold, but yet his mind was a scheming bastard. Selfish? He could be that. Kind? Can you eat that? A manipulating bastard that doesn't need anyone's pity? Definitely, but it wasn't just because of that. There were a lot of things about you that he didn't know of, but that's okay!

It would take time to get to know a person and so— whatever or however that should be interpreted as; that's something he could figure out later. In the meantime, he wondered if your parents had ever told you the story of the hunter and his prey.

He could imagine it.

It seemed realistic enough, him capturing the maiden, and the two of them falling for each other for a happily ever after?

Did he think you'd be so easy?