The Vale

C43

I open my eyes and my lips part as I take in the new environment we are. Closing my eyes again and breath in the smell of Orchids, Amazon water, lively and dirty. I'm pretty sure the climate here is that of a Tropical Forest.

My eyes snaps open. "Where are we?" I ask Damian, who doesn't seem taken by the environment, probably because this isn't his first time here.

"We are on an Island," I know that fact. I can hear the sound of water all around us.

"Welcome to Inaral, Camille." His tone doesn't give me the warm welcome I deserve.

Inaral? I'm pretty sure I have hear that name before. "The birth place of the Inaral Warmad technique," He adds. He should have started his conversation with that. I remember our first conversation was about the way I was using the wooden sword, he made mention of a technique and it's good to know I'm at the birth place.

"Exactly where I need to be." I mutter. Not sure why I said that, I need some peace and quiet, but I don't think this is the place to get it. I haven't seen the place, so I'm not sure.

"Come on, let's go," Damian says in haste. What is his problem? I should be the one hostile to him because he kept a life changing secret from me. And speaking of secrets, there seems to be a huge one between him and Roman, and I'm curious about it.

"What happened between you and Roman?" I ask out of the blue as we walk through the tall trees. I've never seen or been to an island, so I try to keep calm of the scary shit as we walk into it. I don't know anything about this place and it's compels me to keep my eyes and ears open.

"I don't know what you are talking about. There's nothing going on between me and anyone." He lies and the fact that he used 'anyone' instead of Roman just confirms it. He walks past me.

I groan and increase my pace, trying to keep with him. Damn! He walks really fast. When I reach him, I place my hand on his shoulder to stop him from walking. Instead of just stopping like a normal human, he takes my hand and twisting it, my body automatically turns as he places my twisted hand behind me, causing my backpack to fall on the swampy ground.

I scream in pain and slap his leg in submission. "What the hell?" I yell at him.

I can feel his breath on me. "I remember telling you that I hate to be touched. You don't touch me unless I tell you to." He whispers into my ear and what surprise me is the calm intensity he used. How can he be hurting me and be so calm and collected about it.

"You've made your point, now let me go!" I snap and he removes my hand, pushing me forward in the process. His grip on my wrists is not hard enough to bruise but it fucking hurts.

"I can't believe you just did that, you hurt me." I say in a broken tone, I can feel tears clouding my eyes. He's an asshole but I'm crushing on the asshole. I thought maybe he'd feel something but I was wrong. It's like I have feeling for an empty shell void of emotions. He did the same thing at the mansion when I touch him but I won't have it anymore.

"I didn't say anything the last time you did it because I thought I deserved it. You don't like to be touched and I crossed my boundaries. What you just did now is fucking bullshit? You can't just manhandle me just to prove a point. Do that again and you'll be sorry." I threaten.

His face remains stoic like what I said didn't have any effect on him. "I expected you to defend yourself." He replies.

I scoff. "I don't have to. You just showed me what a sadistic monster you are. When I asked you to bring me here, I thought you knew what I was going through but ha–" He interrupts my words, he never does that. He always let me finish before he says whatever it is he wants to say.