Kimi's heartbeat thundered as Atherion's words echoed in her mind. "Captive?" She frowned, her voice uneasy. "You mean... Camelia Valois?"
"Exactly," he said, his red eyes gleaming, unreadable. "Camelia Valois, daughter of Duke Valois."
She sat back, gripping the pink lace of her dress, her fingers digging into the foreign fabric. Transmigration? Isekai?
She had read hundreds of stories about people waking up in fantasy worlds, but she had always assumed they'd recognize where they were.
She didn't. No Calonia, no Camelia, no Atherion.
Her hands trembled. This isn't my body.
She lifted a lock of white hair, the silky strands slipping between her fingers. Her reflection by the stream had already told her what she didn't want to believe—she was in someone else's skin.
She looked at Atherion, taking in his appearance. Sharp features, dark coat, piercing gaze.
He looked dangerous, yet when he had pulled her away from the horse earlier, he had done it carefully.
"Why kidnap... me?" she asked, hesitating over the name she didn't recognize. "And who even are you?"
He straightened, his gaze shifting slightly, scanning their surroundings. Like he was listening for something.
"I'm Atherion," he said. "That's all you need to know."
Kimi's frustration flared. "That's not an answer! Why am I here?"
He didn't respond. His eyes remained fixed on the river, his jaw tightening.
She stood abruptly, the dress tangling around her legs, nearly making her trip. "Hey! Are you listening to me?"
His expression darkened. "We're leaving. Now."
Before Kimi could protest, he grabbed her, lifting her effortlessly into his arms. She yelped, arms instinctively wrapping around his shoulders to keep from falling.
"What are you doing?!" she shouted, twisting in his grip.
A low, guttural hiss rumbled through the air.
Kimi's blood ran cold. She turned—a massive black serpent slithered out of the riverbank, scales glistening like oil, its yellow eyes locking onto them.
Its coiled body shifted, readying to strike.
Her stomach lurched.
"What IS that?!" she screamed, nails digging into Atherion's coat.
He didn't answer. He reached the horse, placed her firmly on its back, untied the reins, and vaulted up behind her in one fluid motion.
"Hold on," he ordered.
Kimi barely had time to grasp the horse's mane before it bolted, muscles flexing under her.
The wind tore at her, and she glanced over her shoulder—the snake was closing in, its jaws stretching wide.
This isn't real. It can't be.
But the thundering hooves, the crushing grip of Atherion's arm around her waist, and the sheer force of her fear—it was all real.
The serpent's hissing faded as the horse gained distance, its form shrinking to a dark shadow on the horizon.
Kimi's breath heaved, her fingers aching from clenching too tightly.
Atherion didn't slow until they reached a rocky outcrop, where a cave yawned in the hillside. He swung down first, then pulled Kimi off the horse.
"Stay here," he ordered. His voice was final.
Kimi stood frozen, her mind spiraling.
The snake. The way it moved. The way it hunted.
Nothing in her world was like that.
She turned toward the cave, then back at the meadow, considering running.
But where would she go?
She didn't know this land, this body, this Atherion.
A deep roar sounded from inside the cave.
Kimi stiffened, her body tensing.
What now?
Atherion reappeared moments later, his sword sheathed, his gaze unreadable. He gestured for her to follow.
Hesitant, she stepped inside. The horse followed, unbothered.
***
The cave's air was cool, damp, the walls rough beneath her fingertips. Flickering torchlight revealed a massive shape near the back—a bear, motionless on the ground.
Kimi gasped, stumbling back. "Is that...?"
"Dead," Atherion said flatly.
He knelt beside the corpse, drew a knife, and began skinning it with practiced ease.
Kimi's stomach churned. She had never seen anything like this, not outside documentaries or fiction.
She backed away, her breath uneven.
Atherion worked quickly, unbothered by the blood, building a fire with dry branches. Soon, the scent of roasting meat filled the cave.
Her stomach growled, betraying her disgust.
Atherion skewered a piece, handing it to her.
Kimi stared, eyes flickering to the bear's corpse in the corner.
"Is this... safe?" she asked, voice small.
"It's food," he said simply, taking a bite from his own portion.
Hunger won over hesitation.
She bit into the meat, chewing slowly. Tough, but warm. Not as bad as she expected.
As she ate, her eyes darted to Atherion. He watched the fire, calm, unreadable.
"Why do you think I'm Camelia?" she asked finally. "I'm not her. My name is Kimi. I... I don't belong here."
Atherion studied her for a long moment. "Explain."
She hesitated. Could she trust him? He had saved her from the snake. He hadn't hurt her.
Deep breath.
"I'm from another world," she said. "Cities, technology, machines—things you wouldn't understand. I was attacked, then I woke up here, in this body. I don't know where Camelia is."
Atherion's eyes narrowed, but he didn't dismiss her. "Technology?"
"Machines that make life easier," she said. How do you explain a smartphone to someone with a sword?
He leaned back, expression unreadable. "You have no memory of Calonia? No knowledge of the Valois family?"
"None," she said firmly. "I'm not Camelia. I don't know why I'm here."
A long pause stretched between them.
Finally, Atherion spoke. "I believe you."
Kimi blinked, startled. "You do?"
"But it changes nothing," he added, his tone darkening. "You are still Camelia in their eyes. That makes you valuable. You're still my captive."
Her relief vanished.
"Valuable? To who? Why do you need me?"
His expression shadowed, something flickering in his gaze. "You'll know when the time comes."
Kimi gritted her teeth, frustration boiling. "That's not good enough! You can't just—"
"Enough." He stood, silencing her instantly. "Rest. We move at dawn."
She glared, but exhaustion weighed her down.
Camelia Valois. Atherion. Calonia.
Whoever Camelia was, she was the key to everything.
And she had no way out.