In Too Deep

Marcus led Sophia through the house down a hallway. Her steps seemed to echo across the house as her heel clicked on the tile behind Marcus, or was it her imagination? Her fear was rising with every step. They reached a heavy wooden door, and Marcus turned to face her; his expression was blank as he stared at her.

"This is your room," he said, his voice gruff. "You should make yourself comfortable; everything should be arranged to your taste inside."

Sophia's brows came together as she frowned. "Please explain. Why am I being kept here?"

Marcus's eyes gazed at her blankly. It was clear he was not sure what to say. "It's not your place to understand. I'm in charge of this house, and until the master, Jonathan, says otherwise, you're not to leave this room. Is that clear?"

His tone was hard, making her uncomfortable. "Will I be here long?"

These people were dangerous. They moved fast and inhumanly. She had suspicions about who they were, but she did not want to believe it. How was that possible? They were things you see in movies.

"A while," Marcus replied cryptically. Without speaking more, he opened the door and asked her to enter.

Sophia stepped inside; her eyes looked around the room. It was spacious, with modern furniture and a large platform bed. A large flat-screen TV hung on one wall, and a bookshelf decorated another. Despite the clear comforts, it felt more like a nice cage than a guest room.

"Remember," Marcus, who was still watching her, said from the doorway, "You must not walk out of this room. No matter what."

The door closed, and Sophia was alone.

Hours passed, but Sophia couldn't relax. She paced the room, her mind racing with questions. Who was Jonathan? Why did he keep calling her the "Moon Maiden"? And what were these powers they spoke of?

She recalled Jonathan's words from earlier: "Her powers will awaken soon." Was he talking about her? Is that why they brought her here?

The memory sent a shiver through her. What did he mean? What kind of powers could she possibly have?

As she sat, Sophia started feeling more stupid. She could not understand why she had come with them without question. Had she been hypnotized?

As the night went on outside her window, Sophia found herself growing restless every second that passed. She'd tried watching TV, reading, and even trying to sleep, but nothing worked.

She was suddenly thirsty at night, but when she looked around the room, she realized there was no water she could drink.

"I am just going to step out for water. They are the ones who forgot to put water in the room," she muttered to herself.

She hesitated a bit, and then Sophia took the risk of leaving the room. She needed water; she had no choice in the matter. She decided to just step out a bit and return.

She slowly turned the doorknob and was shocked to find it open. It seemed they had not locked her inside.

The hallway was dark and silent as she crept towards the stairs. Each creak of the tile made her wince, certain that at any moment, Marcus or Jonathan would appear to scold her.

Sophia made it to the kitchen without incident. She fumbled in the dark for a glass, then filled it at the sink. She took a big gulp and finished the glass quickly. Just as she was about to hurry back to her room, a sound caught her attention.

It was quiet at first—then a distant growl that seemed to come from outside. Sophia froze, trying to listen. There it was again, louder this time. Her curiosity was stronger than her fear. Soon, she was moving, approaching the source of the noise.

As she made her way to a window overlooking what seemed to be the back garden, Sophia's eyes widened in shock. Two massive, wolf-like creatures were fighting each other in the bushes. But these weren't normal wolves; they stood on two legs; they looked like a combination of human and beast. Just like she had seen back in her studio.

"Werewolves," she whispered, the word leaving her mouth before she could understand the ridiculousness of what she was looking at.

So, her eyes had not really deceived her back then. Werewolves. Actual real-life werewolves?

The creatures jumped at each other, teeth bared and claws tearing at the other. Sophia hurried backward, her heart pounding. This couldn't be happening. What kind of setup was this?

She did not have time to think. She turned around to run but found herself face-to-face with a werewolf. Where did it come from? She wondered.

It must have entered the house while she was looking at the fight outside.

She looked into bloodlust eyes and froze. It wanted to kill her. She knew this in her soul. She wanted to scream, but for some reason, she had lost her voice.

Just when she thought she would die, Jonathan was suddenly in front of her, standing between her and the wolf. The next second, he flung the wolf on the floor.

"I believe I was clear..." Jonathan said, his voice really cold, "that no fights must be taken into the house."

The werewolf grunted in pain and lowered its head slowly. Jonathan turned a bit, talking to someone behind Sophia. "Get out! Both of you."

Sophia looked over her shoulder to see the second werewolf dash away. It was fast. The one in front of them followed soon after, not before throwing a look of hunger at Sophia.

This made her shiver. What was with that look? Did it want to kill her that badly?

As the door closed behind the creatures, Sophia found herself trembling uncontrollably.

Jonathan finally turned to look at her. Though his eyes were cold, she saw a hint of concern in them.

"You are not injured, right?" he asked.

Sophia shook her head. Her voice had still not returned. That was a close one. If he was a second late, she would be drinking tea with her ancestors.

"This is precisely why I told Marcus to keep you in your room. You're not ready for this world yet." Jonathan said tiredly.

"W-what world?" Sophia finally managed to stammer.

He gestured towards the stairs. "Go back to your room, Sophia. And this time, stay there. Please."

She wanted answers, but he seemed reluctant to speak.

"Will you at least tell me why they call me the Moon Maiden?" She continued to ask.

Jonathan's expression hardened slightly. "And if I tell you, how would that help you? Your situation will not change just because you know." He nodded towards the window, where the werewolves had been. "You see those werewolves? They are just cubs. They can't control themselves. If you step out without telling me, they will kill you."

"So, you are just going to hold me here?" she asked.

"It is safer here. What happened in your studio will not happen here," he said, then stopped, realizing it almost happened here.

"I will have the laws changed. They will not be able to enter the grounds.

"For how long?" Sophia pressed, but he went silent. Seeing as he was no longer speaking, she gave up.

Sophia ran back to her room and entered quickly. Only after she had shut the door could she breathe.

Werewolves were real. Magic, apparently, was real. And she somehow was related to it all. She did not like this.

Powers? What did it have to do with her?

Whatever spell they had put on her to make her come with them without protest had worn off. Her mind was clearer now. She had to leave this place no matter what.