Chapter 553 - WAS THERE SOMEONE INSIDE?

Hope woke up with a start. Her head was dazed when she looked at her surroundings. She was not familiar with this place and she panicked for a few seconds before she started to remember what had happened last night. 

All the memories flooded her mind without being able to stop it. That was not a pleasant flashback to say the least. 

Hope laid back down again and sighed deeply while staring at the ceiling. She needed to get up, but her body was screaming to take another minute to rest. 

Last night, the centaur took her, Ian and Ethan to this house. The house, where a family of three were living at the outer village. 

Meanwhile, because Kace was still in his beast form, they placed him inside a barn, a building that was beside this house. They made sure that Kace was fine there before Hope was willing to leave him alone.

Hope thought that she would have a hard time to sleep after what had happened, but the reality turned out otherwise, once her head touched the soft pillow and warm blanket was dr.a.p.ed over her body, her mind shut down almost immediately. 

She was exhausted and in pain. 

When they reached this house, a woman who looked like in her thirties, that Hope assumed was the mother of the young girl, had put a new bandage on her wounds, on her back, and treated her injured ankle. 

On the other hand, thanks to their healing ability, Ian and Ethan didn't have to be bothered with their wounds, because they had healed even before they reached this house. 

Hope turned her body and found Lana was still sleeping, on the second bed near the door. There was a frown on her forehead. 

Why was she still not awakened? If it was because of the thing that those hunters had done to her, to put her to sleep, why Ian and Ethan were fine?

Or, maybe those hunters put different things on her system? 

Hope jumped from her bed, which was a wrong decision, she forgot that her left ankle was still in pain. Hope grunted while clenching her fist when the wave of pain sucked out her breath. 

She regretted her reckless action immediately. 

Limping, she trudged towards the bed where Lana was sleeping, she nudged her finger on her cheek while calling her. "Lana. Wake up." 

No response. 

Hope had expected this, but for some reasons, she kept doing the same thing over and over again until someone pushed open the door.

"Ah, you are awake!" 

A little girl around the age of seven, waltzed into the room. Her voice sounded like a chirping bird, her eyes were big and she had a pair of long eyelashes. She was so beautiful, and looked like a living doll. 

When she walked, her curly hair bounced on her shoulder. 

"Mother and father went to the farm, and your two other friends had their breakfast, only you and your sister who haven't had breakfast." She brought a tray that looked bigger than her tiny hands with two bowl of porridge on it. 

In an instant, Hope took the tray and smiled at the little girl. "Thank you."

"You are welcome." She grinned and showed her missing tooth. This reminded Hope when she missed her front tooth as well, and the memory brought another bright smile on her face. "I am afraid your other two friends would eat all the food, they had eaten three bowls of porridge."

Hope chuckled, Ethan and Ian most likely would do something like that when they were starving. 

"Thank you for saving my breakfast from them." Hope put down the tray and took one bowl for her, she just realized now that she was also starving. She couldn't remember when the last time she had a proper meal. 

"Why don't you wake your sister up?" the girl sat down on the bed where Hope was sleeping last night. 

"I already woke her up, but she is still sleeping." Hope frowned at the tasteless bland porridge, but she was hungry, so she kept eating. "What is your name?" 

"Bree," the girl said in her childish voice. "What yours?"

"I am Hope," Hope said. "Nice to meet you Bree, I like your name."

"I like your name too," Bree smiled. "My mother always says that we must always have hope."

Hope grinned. She had to ask Kace why he gave her this name, there must be some story behind it, right?

"Bree, I have another friend inside your barn. Do you happen to know if he's already awake or not?" Hope swallowed the porridge without tasting it again, so she could finish it faster. 

"Mother and father don't allow me to come near the barn," Bree pouted, wiggled her legs. 

"Oh," Hope hummed. She understood, maybe Mr. and Mrs. Lori were afraid that the beast would harm little Bree.

A little while later, Hope put down her bowl and glanced at Lana's sleeping face. She had to ask the centaur about Lana. Why wasn't she awake? And also Lidya…

There were so many things that Hope needed answers for, but there was nothing she could do for the meantime. 

First thing first. "I want to go to Barn, would you like to come with me?" Hope stood up.

"But, mother said not to go to the barn." Bree wanted to go, but she couldn't and since Mr. and Mrs. Lori were on the farm, she couldn't ask them to give her permission.

"Okay," Hope walked towards the door. "Can I leave my sister with you?" 

Bree nodded, but her expression told Hope that she wanted to come with her. "Okay…"

"Thank you."

After saying that, Hope walked towards the living room, but couldn't find Ian or Ethan, yet she didn't want to waste her time by looking for them. The siblings could be anywhere.

Hope strode across the living room and opened the door to the foyer. The barn was right beside the house.

From here, Hope could see that the barn's door was opened.

Was there someone inside?