Eve

'What is home? Is it the place we return to at the end of the day or is it the people who accompany us that turn a place into a home?'

"Yes, there is much for us to discuss, but first we should leave this fake city and return home." Her eyes sparkled with happiness as she spoke the words 'return home.'

"Fake city?" These words caught my attention because I always felt something was off about this city ever since I arrived here.

"Yes, this city is just one of many camouflaged settlements for our servants and followers. Everyone around you these years we've been apart was sent by me in order to be your friend or protect you. Even I was never far from you. Although I had to keep my distance for a time, I was still close enough to come to your aid if needed. That's enough explanation for now. We should set out." She stood and gently lifted me to my feet effortlessly in a single motion and then held her hand out to me. My instincts told me that I was about to leave my normal life behind, but I didn't care. I gladly took her hand and walked out of the mall with her side by side.

At the entrance, a car was pulled up with someone waiting by the rear door. "My Queen, Young Master, we are ready to depart as soon as you enter."

"Jim? Why are you calling me Young Master?"

"It's only natural, you're my Queen's consort, so what else would I call you?"

"That reminds me, James, the Wolf Clan has left the covenant, will you be returning to your clan?"

"If the Wolf Clan has abandoned you, my Queen, then I am no longer a member of the Wolf Clan."

"I understand, I appreciate your loyalty." She appeared genuinely touched that Jim denounced his clan for her.

"It is my honor to serve you, my Queen, I'd be dead if you and..."

"Ahem, let's not talk about that right now. There is still much that he doesn't know yet." She cut Jim off mid-sentence but that only made me more curious about what was really going on.

"As you command, where are we headed to, the only word I got is that we were going home. Does that mean we're heading back to the main house?"

"Yes, make for the airport, we should be able to make the next flight."

"Airport? What about my things, what about work?" I asked still confused by everything that was going on.

"Ssshh, it will be fine. Your things will be delivered later and I've already handled your resignation. If you still want to work when we get home, I can help you find whatever job suits your interest. Let's get in the car for now. I have a new shirt for you in the car, you'd stand out a bit in your security uniform shirt. Your pants should be fine."

"O- okay," I stuttered and looked away as she calmly instructed me to change in the car. We got in the car and I quickly changed shirts so I wouldn't be too embarrassed.

She entered right after me and inspected me in the new shirt and smiled. "You still look the best in light blue. Now, we got a bit of time before we reach the airport so I can answer some of your questions if you'd like."

"Can you tell me more about yourself? I don't even know your name. I don't even know if I ever knew it, I just have the one memory of our promise right now."

"My name is Eve. As I mentioned earlier, I'm not a normal human, in fact, the majority of my followers aren't normal humans. I used to be a normal human once, but due to a mistake I made long ago I was cursed to be immortal. I never age and I can't be killed. I can eat but I never feel hungry."

"That sounds very lonely." I couldn't process the concept of immortality, I could only grasp that Eve had been alive a long time.

"It is lonely, but somewhere along the way, you came into my life. You, for whatever reason, have been linked to me over several lifetimes. You are reborn and I find you every time. Our promise was made the day I realized it was the you of this lifetime. It was the first time that you had found me first, much earlier than we normally meet. Due to an accident, I had to distance myself from you to protect you from my world while you were still young. I hated it more than anything but I wanted you to be safe. I watched over you from the shadows and had my followers protect you in the open when I couldn't. When I interrupted James earlier, he was about to say it was thanks to you that he is alive. However, in reality, it was one of your previous lives, but he is still the most loyal to you out of all my followers."

"How do you know we're linked together?" This was the part I couldn't quite understand from everything I just heard.

"There are two reasons. The first is just a feeling in my heart when I'm near you. The second reason is more logical. Humans have a natural aversion to me and will subconsciously avoid me. You on the other hand naturally drawn to me. It seems this trait also to a small degree affects your family as well. Your mother, for instance, did not have any aversion towards me, though she also wasn't drawn towards me the way you were. I know this is a lot to take in, just take some time to process it and get some rest, we'll have plenty of time to talk about the rest later. We've still got a ways to go before we reached the airport." She took my hand in hers holding it quietly and didn't say anything else.