Polished mahogany furniture gleamed under the soft glow of intricate lamps adorned with what appeared to be intricate clockwork mechanisms. An air of opulent comfort clashed with the sleek, futuristic technology embedded in the walls, leaving Jayden with a sense of bewilderment.
'Clearly, I've been reborn, so I can mark that as checked already. That's one. Second, from the look of this room, it seems to have some sort of European 19th-century style combined with a technology I've never seen before,' Jayden thought to himself as he rapidly processed the information.
Stifling a yawn, he surveyed his surroundings. 'It's good that my new sister isn't stuck in here with me. Babies cry a lot, and frankly, the noise is grating.'
"Oh, look who's wide awake," Ruele chuckled as she entered, her warm smile a welcome sight. She scooped him up in her arms, her touch sending a comforting jolt through him. However, her demeanor shifted as she gazed intently into a specific corner of the room.
"Elora," Ruele called out, her voice taking on a serious edge, "take care of him. Nobody enters the room, nobody is leaving the room. If anything is suspicious, you know what to do." The urgency in her voice sent shivers down Jayden's spine.
As he watched, a dark shadow coalesced in the corner, slowly solidifying into the form of a young woman. Her long blonde hair cascaded down her back in a waterfall of shimmering gold, framing a face both beautiful and unsettling. Clad in a sleek black leather suit that accentuated her toned physique, she exuded an air of mistery.
Confusion and panic warred within Jayden. 'What! Wait, what? Is this some kind of trick? Magic? What is this!?' He sputtered incoherently, his mind reeling with disbelief.
A soft, melodic chuckle filled the air as Ruele spoke. "Yes, mommy knows you like Elora. She likes you too, so be a good boy and stay with her for a little while so mommy can train a little," she said with a wink and a mischievous laugh. Before Jayden could protest, Ruele gracefully exited the room, leaving him alone with this enigmatic woman.
A knot of unease tightened in Jayden's stomach as he watched his mother disappear. Was his mother really leaving him alone with this mysterious stranger? And what did she mean by "training"? His thoughts raced as he tried to piece together the puzzle, but the more he pondered, the less sense it made.
The door hissed shut with a finality that echoed through the room. With a swift movement, Ruele turned towards Elora and spoke in hushed tones, her voice laced with concern. "Keep him safe, Elora. I trust you, don't let anything happen to him."
Elora, her gaze fixed on Jayden, responded with a solemn nod. Her icy blue eyes, the color of a winter glacier, held an intensity that sent chills down Jayden's spine. "I won't let anything happen to him, I promise," her voice, a low contralto, resonated with unwavering conviction.
With a lingering look at Jayden, Ruele vanished through the doorway, leaving him alone with this woman who seemed to possess inexplicable powers. Unsure of what to do or how to react, Jayden could only watch as Elora moved with a silent grace born of years of honed training. The air in the room seemed to crackle with an unseen energy as Elora's presence filled the space.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
An unsettling silence descended, broken only by the faint whirring of the unfamiliar technology embedded in the walls. Jayden's instincts screamed at him to run, to find safety, but something kept him rooted to the spot. He couldn't explain it, but there was a strange, almost hypnotic power emanating from Elora, drawing him in despite his growing trepidation.
Suddenly, Elora turned her piercing blue gaze towards him, and a jolt of fear shot through his veins. There was something not quite human in her eyes, something ancient and powerful that sent shivers down his spine. As if reading his mind, a slow, haunting chuckle escaped her lips. "Don't worry, dear boy. I won't bite... unless you ask nicely," she said with a playful glint in her eyes, a stark contrast to the seriousness of moments ago.
Jayden, ever the pragmatist, forced a semblance of nonchalance. 'Fuck me, I hope you're house-trained at least,' he retorted in his mind, a desperate attempt at maintaining some semblance of control over the bizarre situation.
Alone in the room with this enigmatic woman, Jayden paid close attention to her every move. Every twitch of her hand every rustle of her leather suit sent a thrill of apprehension coursing through him. He couldn't decipher her intentions. Was she a friend or foe? A surge of defiance welled up within him. He wouldn't be treated like a helpless baby.
Elora, seemingly oblivious to his internal turmoil, reached behind her back and produced a small, brightly colored object. It resembled a plush griffin, its majestic form rendered in soft fabric, with golden thread meticulously stitching its powerful wings and sharp beak.
"Ta-da, look baby Jayden," Elora cooed, making a face that seemed at odds with the predatory glint in her eyes moments before. "Auntie Elora brought you this beautiful toy, do you like it?"
Jayden eyed the griffin with suspicion. It was undeniably cute, but something about the situation felt off-putting. Was this some kind of test? A ploy to gauge his reactions? He decided to play along, feigning interest. He reached out a chubby hand, his fingers brushing against the soft fabric.
"Ooh, shiny!" he gurgled, hoping to mimic the sounds he'd heard other babies make. Elora's smile faltered for a brief moment, a flicker of disappointment crossing her features before she quickly masked it with forced cheer.
Undeterred, Elora continued her attempts to win him over. She bounced the griffin around, making exaggerated squeaking noises that sounded more like a malfunctioning droid than a mythical beast. Then, she attempted a clumsy rendition of a lullaby, her voice cracking with notes that wouldn't be out of place in a horror movie soundtrack.
Jayden, however, remained unimpressed. In fact, he couldn't help but let out a hearty, albeit slightly drooly, baby laugh at her increasingly desperate attempts. Elora, instead of being offended, seemed momentarily stunned. Then, a genuine smile, devoid of pretense, spread across her face. It was a sight so unexpected, so disarming, that Jayden found himself mirroring it with a gummy grin of his own.
"Alright, alright," Elora chuckled, a warm, melodic sound that put her previous lullaby attempts to shame. "Maybe singing isn't my forte. How about a little magic?"
She held the griffin aloft, its golden-stitched eyes seeming to gleam with an inner light. As she muttered a few words in a language Jayden couldn't understand, the plush toy twitched. Then, with a puff of what looked suspiciously like glitter, the griffin's wings unfurled and it flapped them clumsily in the air.
Jayden's eyes widened in genuine surprise. This was something he hadn't anticipated. He reached out again, this time with a squeal of delight, completely forgetting his initial suspicion. Elora, emboldened by his reaction, made the griffin swoop and dive around the room, its comical movements eliciting peals of laughter from the unlikely pair.