When Hazel woke up, she noticed she was on a much not tided bed. The walls of the room was although looking similar but cracked. She began to have some idea on where she was, since she had been at this place sometime back. She then came down from the bed, heading towards the window to check her surroundings and just like she had guessed, she was back at the barrier, but this time, she was at the Decron's mansion where she had met Kyle.
Speaking of Kyle, she quickly checked around the whole mansion for Kyle or any mighouls. When she noticed the was none, and Kyle wasn't also there, she came to the conclusion that Kyle might have already been in her body. She then locked the doors and window in the mansion to avoid any lurking ghouls from coming in. She went back to the room, trying to figure out how she would survive there at the barrier till whenever she will be able to go back, Elliot never mentioned anything on how she would.
After some time of thinking, with no positive result, she laid back down on the bed, with the thought that soon, the mighouls and ghouls might soon smell her out, although she wasn't a new soul cause it was her second time, but she just thought so.
As time passed, with Hazel hardly figuring out what the time was around there, since the weather was mostly dusty and clouded, she still layer on the bed, occasionally checking through the windows to see if some ghouls were nearby, even though she knew they would make some gnarling sounds if they were near. Her thoughts trailed back to what would be happening back at the living world and how Xavier will react knowing she no longer in her body but Kyle
'Does he know that she was no longer in her body' she thought but dispersed the thought immediately knowing he would surely noticed and Elliot was also there, so there would be no problem. She also wondered of they had gotten any news of her dad.
What seemed like hours later, she heard a knock on the main door of the mansion , she immediately stilled and focused her hearing to see if it was just her imagination. Seconds later, the knock was heard again, this time, she went towards the window of the room to see if she could see what was knocking outside, but she couldn't. She then quietly made her way downstairs towards the door, towards the door to open. Once she did, she peeped outside to see whatever knocked but to her surprise, there wasn't anything or anybody around. After crosschecking again and coming out with the same result, she decided to close and licked the door again. She turned back to go back to the room but was stopped when she noticed a man just some few steps behind her, and that startled her.
After regaining her stance and was more alert, she moved back a little towards the door, planning on running out of anything goes wrong
"Hazel right" the man spoke, it was more of a statement than a question "the special girl" he continued in his stern cold voice
"Who are you and how do you know my name" she asked still alert
"I had guessed that you should know me" he murmured to himself but she heard
"Am I supposed to know who you are?" She asked again
"With how he seemed attached to you, I guessed he would have told you about me" he said which made Hazel think hard about who the 'he' he had said, was. Coning to a conclusion that since the only person she was close to and also has a connection with the barrier, was Elliot
"Are you by any means talking about Elliot?"
"—"
"Then, who the hell are you?"
"I'll just make this easier then. I'm Crane and I suppose you do refer me as his godfather"
"Oh" she said after realising who he was
"Yes. Oh."
"Sooo... Why are you here then?"
"Well, thanks to your brother..."
"What brother?" She said genuinely confused
"Elliot, Idiot"
"I'm not an idiot"
"Whatever. I still don't know why he was adamant on protecting you first" Crane said distastefully making Hazel roll her eyes
"So what about Elliot?"
"He made me agree to making sure you are safe while you're here" he said remembering when Elliot had asked him for a favour (for those that don't remember, its in 'I don't deserve her')
"OK. Thanks by the way, I was already beginning to think I'll spend my whole stay here"
"You wouldn't last long, soon the ghouls will smell you out"
"I thought so"
There was this short pause before Hazel spoke up again
"From the looks of things, I can see that you don't really like me"
"Obviously"
"I'm not going to even ask why, but then,why did you agree with Elliot's favour"
"I need him back here to deal with the problems which I'm sure you know about, but he prioritizes your safety first" he said adding much distaste at his last statement
"Oookkay" she said nodding gradually
The next thing, Crane was holding out his hands for Hazel to take which made her a bit confused. Crane seeing this got irritated.
"Are you taking my hands or not, or I'll just leave you here" he threatened
"You won't" she said smugly "what will you tell Elliot if something happens to me"
"Hmmn" he let out a small smile "Dare me" he said seriously and Hazel immediately took his hands
Within seconds, Hazel found herself in the middle of the forest and at her front was a huge tower which was slightly bent on the top and she kind of wondered how it hasn't collapsed, the lightning that occasionally strikes at the top added to the eerie feeling. She turned to her side to see Crane already heading towards the tower and she followed immediately.
She got a lot of stares from the reapers around. Ignoring them, which was a bit hard as they practically dug holes on the body through their eyes, she tried catching up with Crane. They passed the first floor heading towards the stairs to the top floor as she guessed that Crane stays up there, and she knew that if she was in her human form it would have been a tiresome journey as the stairs were never ending. After reaching the top floor, Hazel spoke up again
"So, where am I to stay?"
"Suit yourself" he said pointing towards a door farther down by his left before disappearing into a room which she guessed was his.
She then went into the room he had pointed, it was very plain, she want expecting much anyways. There was a normal sized bed by one end of the room, and candles lit up at done corners, given that the place was a bit dark. She went towards the window to see the view from up there. She saw the vast land below, first was the forest which surrounded the tower, then the main deserted town, she could also see some ghouls littered around, maybe trying to sniff out a new meal. After, looking around to he fill, she went straight to her bed to lay down having nothing to do
After what seems like hours, she heard some loud noises coming towards her door which was suddenly slammed open revealing three men. One which was Crane and the other two seemed familiar. Concentrating more, she figured out that they were Guilt and Barron, they had visited her back at the living world and had kidnapped relles. This thought made her angry
"You!!" She shouted pointing at the two
"Remind me why I'm here again" Barron asked rhetorically
"You are the ones that kidnapp- no- rabbitnapped relles" she said angrily as she marched towards them. Crane who was watching face palmed himself
"You can't blame us" Guilt defended
"And if he died..."
"He didn't" he interrupted
"What are you even doing here"
"If you haven't realised, were at the barrier which is my world, Ms Hazel"
"Its Lady, you pig"
"Whatever" he said "I wonder why Crane agreed to this" he murmured
"I heard you" Hazel said
"Okay, I guess it's enough of the fight" Barron butted in
"I'm not going to let this go easily" hazel huffed
"I brought you guys here to introduce you guys to her, but it seems there will be no need for that, so, I'll just go straight to the point. You guys will be the ones to protect her during her stay here" Crane announced
"What!!" Guilt and Hazel said simultaneously
"Take it as you're doing Elliot a favour" Crane said before marching out of the room leaving three of them alone with Guilt and Hazel giving each other disgusting looks
"Soooo, I guess we would have to come in terms with this arrangement as we will be seeing each other more frequently now till your stay here is over" Barron spoke up first to dissolve the tension but the two were so fixed on their staring contest