Two

“We already told you, what else you would want to know, huh?!” Paul exclaimed.

“Take me back to where I was supposed to be! Take me back to my office! I am a fierce billionaire! I am a businessman, and what the fuck just happening, this may not be believable, but I am forty-four years old!” Zion exclaimed, he was hysterical and cannot think straight.

“Young man,” Concepcion called Zion in a very calm way, “You must calm down; this will not be solved if you will stay like that,”

“How can I go back the last time that I remember was, I got this pain in my chest, and I think I fell asleep, then I woke up here in your goddamn place, with me, looking like a seventeen-year-old kid, how would you think that I’ll react? Happy—“

“You fool! Don’t you dare raise your voice on my wife! You foolish thing!”

“No, this can’t be happening, this must be a dream, I have to wake up, I have a meeting to attend, and my day is fully packed for my appointments—“

“Then, get out!” Paul lost his temper with Zion, “We don’t even need a tackles, arrogant, asshole and self-centered human like you in our household!”

“You didn’t have to say that, I will go even if you stopped me!” with that, Zion stormed out of the Cortiluz house, and slammed the door.

“Hon, you shouldn’t have said that, maybe he is just too shocked, we didn’t know what and where he came from, like what we are told, we summoned him from another place or another world?”

“Conny, there is no such thing as a different world, a parallel world is just fiction,” Paul said and sat on her divan.

“Dad, I told you, there it is!” Anya their only daughter was persistent that there is another world, outside of theirs, “I read it in books, from the people who successfully went back here!”

“Anya, how can you prove that they are spatting fact?” Paul sighed, “Let’s cut this nonsense conversation, let that arrogant child go, he will bring no luck to us,”

“Then what about the war?” Concepcion starts to open the fire in their kitchen, it is quarter to four in the afternoon.

“I’ll try to look for other ways, we still have a few weeks,” Paul said and shrugged, he stood up and get the casserole.

“But we already sold everything valuable, how can we look for someone to volunteer to stand in your shoes?” Anya seemed uneasy, trying to figure out what will be their next move, “Dad, we still have a choice, like what mom said, maybe Zion was just shocked and he just—he just needs a good explanation? We have to utilize the money that we spent,”

Paul’s expression is shouting rejection, his pride is getting in his way, and he felt disrespect as a former soldier of the kingdom.

“Your daughter is right, Paul. Go, and get that kid,” Paul looked at his wife and daughter, waiting for his positive response to their suggestions.

“Fine!” Anya chirped and clapped in happiness, “I’ll just get my jacket,”

“Bring your sword too, nights are longer than days to this time, for your own safety,”

Shortly after the talk, Paul made his way to the forest, good thing that he had a strong sense of smell, he can still smell a foreign scent of Zion.

His wife and daughter are right, he did not come from this city, this town, or even in this world, Paul knew the man came from nowhere near where they grew up. He is just too prideful to admit that Anya can possibly be right.

“Shit,” he muttered, as the scent of Zion came stronger, there is a familiar scent along with him, “This asshole,” he run as fast as he can, even though his legs were not as strong as before his accident, he can still run a little faster than normal people, “Hah! Hah!” his uneven breathing made it a little harder for him to run, “This is what I fucking thought about!”

In front of him is Zion, frozen on his spot, looking at the huge creature in front of him, just before the monster killed Zion with its sharp claw, Paul run and wielded his sword.

“Hey, asshole! Get to your senses, or you will be killed!” Paul exclaimed and slap Zion straight on his face.

That’s when Zion gets to his senses and tried to dodge death, “What the fuck was that?!” he exclaimed with his eyes widening while looking at Paul, “I-is that a sigbin?!”

A sigbin, a monstrous bear, is usually awake at night until dawn to search for its prey and sleep throughout the day. It’s one of the common monsters that hunters hunt when training or preparing for something.

Zion was in awe, looking at how Paul swiftly jumped and waved his sword, which creates a huge slash on its neck, Paul didn’t waste any second and swang directly his sword at the huge eyes of the monster.

Both gentlemen saw how the sigbin falls, and made a loud thud. Paul fished his sack and starts to cut the sigbin’s trousers. Zion looked at him with disbelief.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Zion said, he looked around, he has been walking for twenty minutes in the middle of the woods when he encountered the huge guy.

Paul gave him a questioning look, “Getting some for dinner? What?”  He said continuing to get some meat, Zion had a grimacing expression, looking at the green blood flowing from the sigbin’s eyes, “Don’t worry, it won’t kill you, it tastes just like meat, I haven’t heard anyone who died by eating their meat,”

After getting a portion that could last for a week, Paul sealed the sack and put it on his shoulder, then walk on his way home, he halted upon realizing that Zion wasn’t walking with him, and just looking at the monster.

“What are you still doing there? Let’s go, it’s getting dark, I haven’t brought a torch with me,”

Zion frowned, “What—”

“Get your ass on here, and spend your supper at our home, it may be your last?” Paul jokingly said, Zion rolled his eyes and skipped some steps which surprise him because he had never done that, Paul chuckled, but hide it, “Let’s go,”

They took a shortcut going home, Concepcion greeted Zion with a knowing smile, and Anya too. They cooked the meat, and served it to the family, before saying their grace.

“Paul was right, it tastes just like meat,” Zion commented while devouring a large part of the dish, “This tasted like hella heaven,” he added, which made Concepcion and Anya chuckle.

“Shut up and just eat your food,” Paul’s sullen voice echoed through Zion’s ears, giving Paul a side eye and mockingly laugh, “What are you laughing—”

They all stopped and looked at the door when they heard someone outside. Paul stood up, and the three walk behind him, Zion was still holding his meat, and simply looking outside while chewing it.

“We came from the kingdom, today, we are starting to list down all the participants for the upcoming war, and everyone is required to bring at least one of the household, but by the looks of it—” The army guard looked at Paul with such disappointment, “You will just deliver yourself to your own grave,” They exchange looks at mocking laugh, “Now, let’s go back to the business,” both of them lustfully looked at Anya, “Like what the law said, if a household won’t be able to participate in the war, they need to send a woman to be a palace servant, from what we are seeing, you will still greatly help the kingdom, by sending your daughter—”

Paul was about to respond with the demoralizing words when Zion tapped his shoulder, shooking his head.

“What kind of rubbish would a man from the kingdom,” Zion said, and walk in front, “We will send no woman from this household, young man,” Zion smirked and tilt his head to the soldier in front of him, “Write my name, Zion Reed, I’ll be participating for the Cortiluz family, and also—” Zion almost cut the space between the perverted soldier, “Remember that night, because once I got home from the war, I will fucking kill you, dumbhead,”