Chapter 97 First Meeting with the Cat Girl (2)

Velcy's POVI consoled myself with these thoughts as my eyes drifted to a black cloth draped carelessly across the bed. I frowned as I was puzzled at the appearance of an unidentified garment.

During my previous visits to this room over the past week, I hadn't noticed any sort of clothing present in the whole room, not even a spare item tucked away in a corner.

The room itself was sparsely decorated and its simplicity lent it an air of quiet dignity.

Yet, it exuded a regal and ancient aura which was a huge contrast to the garish and superficial splendor I had seen elsewhere in the Blackwell's training rooms.

Here, nothing was cheap or gaudy and every item seemed to be steeped in history and importance.

I moved forward with light and cautious steps, as if afraid that anyone would know that I was here.

The feeling of doing something forbidden lingered in my mind and it sent a strange thrill coursing through my veins. I couldn't pinpoint why, but the thought of sneaking around filled me with an odd exhilaration.

Reaching the bed, I bent down and picked up the cloth. It was damp to the touch and as I unfolded it, I realized it was a black tunic adorned with delicate silver designs.

A wave of familiarity washed over me, and my brows furrowed as I tried to place where I'd seen it before.

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I glanced at the now-empty bed, then back to the tunic, before the realization clicked in my mind like a spark igniting a candle.

Wait… isn't this the shirt that Big Brother Ethan wore while he was unconscious?

The recognition brought a mixture of curiosity and nervousness. On instinct, I brought the tunic closer to my face and inhaled deeply. The fabric carried a musky scent, warm and distinctly his.

Despite the dampness from sweat, the smell was oddly comforting and I felt a strange contrast to the weird thoughts in my head.

With my heightened cat senses, I imprinted the scent firmly into my memory. I was not able to explain this feeling in words but I seemed to like but dislike the sticky smell at the same time.

My eyes fluttered shut as I instinctively inhaled again and a small inexplicable sense of security washed over me. When I opened my eyes, my gaze followed the scent's invisible trail.

Before I realized what I was doing, I found myself standing before a small door cleverly concealed near the wooden cabinet at the room's far end.

The door was nondescript in appearance but its presence now felt significant as though it held the answers I sought.

I hesitated, my heart racing as anxiety prickled through me. What if something unexpected is behind this door? I thought, but I steeled myself. I had to know where that Big Brother Ethan was and if anything had happened to him.

Gingerly, I turned the knob and the door creaked open with a prolonged groan. A dim bloody light spilled out and illuminated what appeared to be a cavernous room.

Thick and rising hot vapors filled the air as it obscured my vision and created an atmosphere both eerie and enigmatic.

The warm and damp air clung to my skin as I stepped inside and my every sense heightened. My gaze darted around but the fog limited what I could see.

To feel a bit more secure, I clutched a small iron rod I had picked up earlier just in case something unexpected and dangerous awaited me.

As I walked, my cloth shoes squelched against the damp floor. Curious, I crouched down to touch it and my fingertips grazed its rough texture.

Upon closer inspection, I realized that though it appeared uneven from above, the floor was surprisingly smooth and solid beneath my touch.

The atmosphere that included the rising steam, the subtle heat, and the muted sound of trickling water finally clicked together in my mind. '

This must be a bathhouse of some sort, I thought and this realization calmed me slightly.

But that calm didn't last.

A sudden overwhelming sense of danger gripped me as an icy chill ran down my spine. My instincts screamed at me to flee but before I could move, I felt something cold and heavy coil around my legs and arms.

I gasped in horror as dark chains appeared out of nowhere that wrapped tightly around me. My legs were bound together, and my arms were forced behind my back in an instant.

Panic surged through me as I struggled against the restraints, but they held firm and their unyielding strength reminded me something terrifying from my past.

In my frantic attempts to free myself, I nearly lost my balance and stumbled awkwardly against the pull of the chains.

Before I could regain my footing, the chains yanked me forward with a force so sudden and powerful that I was lifted off the ground.

My body was propelled through the air as I was pulled by an unseen force.

The dense fog parted with a loud whooshing sound and the world became a blur of steam and shadows as I was dragged further into the cavernous space helplessly.

Immense fear seized me, and for a moment my mind went blank from shock.

But as I was pulled deeper into the unknown, something inside me snapped me awake and a surge of primal rage ignited inside my mind and body.

The sight and feel of those chains brought back memories I had long buried.

Those days of imprisonment, helplessness, and being treated as less than human seemed to come back all at once in my mind and it was raw and unfiltered this time.

A long list of all those dark memories played in my mind. The cold, unyielding bars of my cage, the cruel laughter of that evil family, and the hopelessness of being trapped but powerless to fight back.

No, my heart pounded like huge drums as this thought rang in my mind constantly, Not again. Never again.