How To Survive A Calamity

Chapter 265: Outside The Door [2]

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

Ceres stared calmly at me with an indifferent, almost bored, aloof expression. "Waiting."

I frowned a bit, feeling slightly apprehensive, then replied back. "Yeah. I can see that. But why?"

"For you."

Ceres' words took me aback. I mean, she was standing right outside my door, so I guess it was kind of obvious she would say that. But, why?

My expression shifted a little. "Yeah. But wh—"

"Is your room safe?"

"What?"

"Your room," Ceres said again, nudging at my door, "is it safe? I need to talk to you in private."

The words 'in private' made my expression firmer. I stared intently at Ceres for a second, but as always, her stoic expression never gave anything away. It was even more infuriating with how reserved she spoke, barely giving proper explanations or sentences.

This girl was a mystery through and through. One I still couldn't get past. That was part of the reason my instincts around her were to just remain in my lane without necessarily getting involved with Ceres Walker.

Yet she was the one who came to seek me out herself. And from past experiences lately, nothing good ever happens when someone I barely know seeks me out.

To say I was tense and on alert was an understatement. Regardless, I remained calm while reeling in my thoughts.

What could Ceres possibly want to talk to me about? In private, nonetheless.

I didn't hide my suspicion from my expression, but even if Ceres could see it, her thoughts didn't reflect on hers either.

"Fine. But make it quick. I've had a long day and I'm exhausted," I drawled, pretending to be casual as I rubbed the back of my neck and unlocked the door.

I could feel Ceres' curious gaze penetrate my back, but I pretended like it didn't make me uneasy.

"Long day? It's barely noon."

"Yeah," I dryly replied. "And it'll even get longer."

I pushed the door open, and Ceres helped herself in without so much as glancing at me. Her gem-red eyes were cool and aloof, like she owned the place.

As I shut the door behind her, I couldn't help but have the strange and bizarre thought that I had just invited Ceres Walker into my room. It made me pause for half a second when a sudden tingle ran through the back of my neck.

I had barely shut the door properly when I felt something slam straight into me from behind with enough force to disorient me for a quick second. I stumbled, dazed a bit from the impact, but that moment was enough.

Before I could react, out of the blurry corner of my eyes, Ceres' arm shot forward and grabbed my neck in a vice-like grip.

"Wha...?!" I gagged, feeling my windpipes on the verge of getting crushed, and blood threatening to freeze in my veins.

My vision blurred, tinting slightly red as the only thing I clearly recognised in my moment of confusion were Ceres' cold, sharp, and murderous red eyes staring dead into mine. Her beautiful, aloof face didn't seem so graceful any longer.

"Reveal yourself," she demanded in a threatening voice. The strength in her fingers wrapped around my fragile neck was unyielding.

This bitch... she really was going to strangle me to death.

I managed to grit my teeth and remain calm, even as the oxygen was being brutally cut off from my brain.

"Wh... what the fu...ck are you—"

"I won't say it again. Who are you? Did that woman send you?"

"What—?"

She pressed me tighter against the door so hard I could almost hear it creak. Her slender fingers tightened harder around my neck.

Ceres' eyes glinted with a murderous red as her aloof expression twisted dangerously at her brows. "'Eden,'" she said in a low voice. Her gaze pierced straight into mine. "Don't pretend you don't know; you're from The Garden, aren't you? What generation are you?" she added.

[DING! WARNING: EXTERNAL MENTAL SKILL INFLUENCE HAS BEEN DETECTED. DO YOU WISH TO BLOCK?]

Suddenly Meta's synthetic voice echoed through the chaos of my mind. A brief warning system notification flashed before my eyes before vanishing, replaced by the intensity of my current situation.

'What...'

Eden? Garden? What the heck was she talking about... my mind raced in a panic. My vision was starting to sway. I reflexively grabbed Ceres' arm holding me up, almost futilely, and managed to grunt.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

But Ceres' murderous gaze didn't so much as falter. Her arm trembled as she squeezed even tighter, causing my eyes to nearly roll to their whites.

Fuck, I thought, I really am going to pass out like this, or worse.

I gagged, saliva foaming at my mouth. I forcefully gritted my teeth and kept my eyes open long enough to look past Ceres' face and squeeze out a hoarse voice.

"...Behind you."

Ceres snapped her head around instantly the moment she felt something stir behind her. It was Hamlet, but by the time Ceres looked, I had ordered my Familiar to retreat and vanish immediately.

A distraction.

I tapped Ceres' left shoulder with just the tips of my fingers, my arm reaching out weakly as I uttered in a strained voice.

"[Impulse]..."

—Blzzt!

First there was a spark, frail and fickle. Then a charged burst of violet Ether focused and erupted from my fingertips like the point of a controlled, palm-sized explosion.

Ceres' left shoulder powerfully jerked backward from the impact, and her figure was sent flying across my room until she hit the bedside, slumping to the floor. She had been thrown backward with the grace of a ragdoll, like she had been hit by a shotgun at point blank.

I fell to the ground as well, barely managing to land on one knee as I grasped my neck and desperately gasped for breath. I could still feel the sensation of having the very breath squeezed out of my windpipes, and even the skin around my neck had twisted and folded.