C3 Captivated

Because of what happened, it seems like Uncle Fidel is tying me inside the house. The deer I saved, Uncle Fidel agreed to stay with me until it can return to the forest.

Summer arrived. The snow around is slowly melting. Another four months passed.

There are many things I want to learn, from cooking to simple household tasks.

I follow Uncle's lead, and he gradually teaches me. I can say that within the four months, I learned a lot. And...

My time was not wasted.

......

I looked up. The gentle warmth from the sun touched my face.

I paused in gathering firewood. I assist in collecting firewood.

So that in winter, we have something to use. Somehow, we can heat the small stove.

I felt the movement of the rope tied to my foot. Uncle placed it there to know if I'm straying too far or staying close.

He would pull that signal, indicating I should come back and not go too far.

Quietly, I followed the red rope.

But instead of Uncle Fidel, it was a young man, not much older than me, holding the rope.

Wonder filled my eyes.

"Uncle Fidel was summoned to the mansion. He has something to attend to, so he asked me to wait for you here," the young man said with a slight smile.

He quickly moved towards me and extended his hand.

I was surprised and took a step back. He noticed and hesitated.

Embarrassed, he withdrew his hand. "Sorry about that. I'm Timothy Clinton. And you?"

He tried to make the interaction less awkward between us.

I remained silent. I didn't know what he was asking. Besides, me? Nymphs don't have names.

Timothy nodded. He realized that nymphs indeed don't have names, aside from being called nymphs.

"Oh, right," Timothy awkwardly chuckled.

He glanced at me before remembering he had the small chain to attach to my foot.

Uncle wasn't around, so Timothy would be left alone in the house.

He looked at the chain meant for me but decided not to put it on.

"Shall we?" Timothy said.

Curious, I followed Timothy.

I had a deep wound on my leg back then, so I walked with a slight limp. I noticed Timothy glancing at my foot.

"I don't know what happened there, but can I take a look? Maybe I can help heal it," he hesitantly asked.

I stopped and looked at my leg. It happened so long ago, but I still endure the pain from that wound.

Uncle had already examined it, but maybe it wouldn't hurt to let Timothy take a look. Perhaps he could do something.

I slowly lifted my skirt. I saw that he was surprised. But later on, he earnestly helped me sit on the piece of lifeless trunk lying on the ground.

His forehead creased upon seeing the other bruises marked on my leg.

Some of my wounds had turned into scars. Especially the deep wound that was struck by the arrow back then.

He gave me a small smile before rummaging through what he had in his side bag.

He took out a bottle. It contained a thick sticky substance that he applied to my wound carefully.

"To prevent infection, let's put this on. I bought it from the drugstore. I'm a regular customer from there and this one is the most recommended," Timothy stated, giving me a light smile.

His movements were soft and light as if he was afraid he might hurt me.

He accompanied me to the cabin after that. Those pieces of snow were shining brightly every time they were struck by a light from the sun. The snow around us was slowly melting with the emergence of the morning sun.

I quickly took the thermos with a hot chocolate and placed it on the stove.

"Do you go to town?" He followed me. "Oh, by the way. You can't speak, right? I'm sorry. But you understand me, don't you?"

I turned to him, smiled, and nodded. He stared in amazement before slowly smiling back at me.

"That's good then." His grin widened.

I poured hot chocolate into his cup. We sat by the window, and there, he continued talking things with me.

All I could do was nod and listen.

Since then, Timothy became a frequent visitor to the house. During the summer, we explored the woods.

"Do you want to go to the falls?" He suddenly invited.

I furrowed my brow as I watched him remove his upper clothes.

"Uh, sorry. Is it okay? I don't want to ruin this outfit when I change forms." He seemed to notice my confusion about what he was doing.

He's going to change forms? Why?

I hesitated to nod.

"Can you hold this?" he asked, handing me the bag containing his clothes.

If he was undressing, it meant I had to undress too. So, I started unbuttoning. I didn't know why we had to do it.

But I wanted to go to the falls he mentioned. And if this was the only way to...

"What are you doing?" he exclaimed, quickly stopping my hands from unbuttoning my dress.

I was stunned. Why? Did I do something wrong?

Then he seemed to blush. He looked at me, and my hand, against his sun-kissed skin, appeared even paler.

He swiftly closed the buttons of my dress.

I just looked at his veined hands on my clothes. Nymphs usually have smooth and vein-free hands, so I never imagined their hands could be this firm and veined. It's unfamiliar.

"Ride on my back. Y-You don't have to undress." He hesitantly turned to me, seeming more embarrassed than I was.

I was surprised when I suddenly heard his groans. Next, I heard the cracking of his bones. After that, I noticed his transformation. My eyes widened as I observed his majestic standing figure in front of me. His feathers were gray and enormous.

He bent down in front of me, indicating that I needed to hop on his back. I had to pause my admiration for his current form.

I quickly moved and mounted him from behind. His fur were incredibly soft. It was truly astonishing!

I held onto the fur around his neck, and he began to rise. It was dizzying due to his size. This was the first time I would ride on a predator's back. A prey, riding on the back of a predator. It felt unbelievable.

I was startled when he suddenly ran. I held onto his hair tightly. He moves even faster, and the images around we passed seemed like a blur due to his swift movements.

In just a few seconds, we reached the falls he mentioned again. The view was unbelievably breathtaking.

I stood on a large rock, looking down where the water cascaded from the falls. The foliage surrounded us.

"Let's go down!" he cheerfully invited.

He extended his hand. Hesitantly, I accepted his hand in the end. The rocks we stepped on were slippery, but he was careful, ensuring I wouldn't get harmed, and I appreciated him for that.

We reached the bottom and started wading. I marveled at the cold and clear water. It felt like I was still trying to convince myself that this was just a dream.

"I'll just get something," he said.

I nodded and smiled lightly. He moved swiftly, assuring me he would return soon.

I continued swimming, enjoying the water. It felt refreshing. I thought I'd like to come back here.

I removed all my clothes and went to the deeper side. There, I swam with a wider grin, admiring my glistening skin under the sunlight hitting the dark rocks.

My skin seemed to glow amid the black stones. I ran my fingers through my long, white hair, closing my eyes and savoring the lightness of the place. I didn't know when Timothy would bring me back here, so I had to make the most of this opportunity.

After feeling the chill, I slowly swam towards the edge. However, upon reaching the shore, I was shocked to find my clothes gone.

"T-Timothy..." Confused, I scanned the surroundings, hoping to spot my friend.

But Timothy was nowhere to be found. Who took my clothes?

As I was about to walk to search for my friend, I bumped into a solid figure. His strong arm quickly wrapped around my bare body. Our eyes met as his firm gaze locked onto mine.

Who is this man? This isn't my friend Timothy!

“Nymph, huh?” The darkness accompanies his playful smile. He's not wearing any. His physique is considerably larger than Timothy's. Broad chest and muscular arms. He has a tattoo on the neck, extending down the entire left arm.

His eyes are golden. Judging by his appearance, it seems I won't be able to escape from him. Where is Timothy?!