Roxanne slowly opened her eyes and found the bright rays of sunlight seeping through her room. She groaned as she managed to sit up, looking around her room.
Her messy blue hair hung above her head as she smacked her lips, slowly gazing around her.
“What time is it… uhh…” She mumbled.
Sluggishly checking the clock hung on the wall, Roxanne’s tired eyes suddenly popped wide open.
“It’s 12:04pm?!” She exclaimed.
She jumped out of her bed and rushed to the bathroom.
She didn’t remember the last time she had ever woken so late.
“I missed my routine, damnit!” She groaned to herself, brushing her teeth violently.
After she was done, she rushed to take her shower and remained under the hot trickles of water that doused on her.
“Uuuhhh…” She moaned, feeling a deep sense of relief under the heated water.
[Moments Later]
Roxanne stepped back to her room, wearing her towel. Cleaning the remnant of water droplets on her skin, she sighed to herself.
“Why did I rush just now?” She asked herself.
It wasn’t like she had anything to do.
Sitting on her bed, her eyes darted to the personal business card of Daniel. Her mind also wandered to the conversation they had very early that morning.
“What do I do?” She asked herself.
Certainly, this was a massive opportunity. She couldn’t continue living her life without any form of routine like this.
According to the schedule, she had a match on the night after the present day, meaning she was entirely free at the moment.
“I’m hungry…” She mumbled.
Finally having a reason to get up, Roxanne rose from her bed and proceeded to dress.
Opening her wardrobe, she viewed the new sets of clothes she bought from the store the other day. Smiling a little, she sorted through then to find the one she felt like putting on.
[Moments Later]
Now walking down the street, Roxanne wore a simple gray coat with matching trousers and thick brown boots. Of course, the cold didn’t bother her so much, but it was still winter so it wouldn’t be sensible to wear anything less.
“What should I get?” Roxanne asked herself.
After conflicting thoughts swirling about her, Roxanne finally decided to get something simple as takeout and eat in a nearby park.
She got a bag full of doughnuts, with hit cocoa, grabbing the duffel bag they put everything in as she headed toward her favorite spot in the park nearby.
“Ahh…” She moaned, sitting on the cold chair.
Fortunately, it was made of a special kind of wood, so the chilly season didn’t make the temperature of the seat unbearably cold.
Bringing out her treats, Roxanne feasted her eyes on the goodies in front of her and readied herself to devour them.
“Hello there, young lady…” A voice called out for Roxanne, startling her to the point that she almost let go of the Duffel bag she held.
“A-Ah…?” Roxanne mumbled, looking in front of her to meet the gaze of a strange looking lady.
“Do you mind if I sit beside you?” She asked with a thin voice, nearly sucking Roxanne in with the flair within the words she uttered.
“N-No problem…” Roxanne replied, feeling nervous for some reason.
“I… I couldn’t sense her getting close to me…!” Roxanne thought to herself.
As a Werewolf, one of the perks she had was that despite her not paying attention, Roxanne could still get a rough idea of whatever was happening around her. If anyone approached her, even if she wasn’t on her guard, she would get an alert within her.
Yet, she felt no such thing from this woman.
The older-looking woman, appearing to be in her early forties, smiled, seated on the chair beside Roxanne, leaving only a tiny space between the two of them.
This made Roxanne feel awkward, but asking the woman to move a little would be rude, and if she did so herself, it could amount to disrespect.
“What’s on your mind, Roxanne?” The woman suddenly asked.
“O-Oh, what do you mea-” Roxanne tried answering the woman in a way to not appear rude, when suddenly her eyes bulged in shock.
“How does she know my name?!” Roxanne’s thought rang.
The woman merely maintained her smile as she looked at the sky above them.
“I couldn’t sense her approach, and she also called me by my name… There’s something up about this woman!” Roxanne said to herself, staring suspiciously at the older woman.
Activating her Werewolf Art, which allowed her to see the surrounding aura around anyone to judge their intentions, Roxanne focused her eyes on the woman. However, what she saw shocked her.
“N-Nothing… How?!” She asked herself.
This had never happened before. Everyone had some sort of aura around them, yet she displayed nothing at all. Who was this person?
“Are you done using [INSIGHT]?” The woman asked, now turning to face Roxanne.
Roxanne’s body jumped as soon as she did so, immediately activating her Werewolf Ability to move away from this dangerous figure before she did something.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you… Sit!”
Upon hearing the strange woman’s voice, Roxanne’s body, which had reacted instinctively to the woman, no longer listened to Roxanne as she forcefully remained glued to the chair.
“W-Who are you?!” Roxanne asked, eyeing the woman in fear and shock.
What did she just do? Why couldn’t Roxanne sense her? How did she know Roxanne’s name?
Myriads of questions floated in her brain, waiting to be solved, yet the woman sat and just gazed upon Roxanne with a gentle smile, thoroughly observing her face.
“You’re really beautiful… Both within and without… Roxanne” She mumbled.
The woman raised her aged hand and touched Roxanne’s fearful skin, caressing her face as she felt the texture of the facial features of the young, frightened girl.
“Y-You… You are… Who are you!” Roxanne asked, her lips quivering.
She couldn’t move her body at all, feeling as though she was frozen by an invisible force, Roxanne helplessly watched as the woman continued playing with her face until she was satisfied.
“Ah, forgive me. I got carried away for a moment there…” The woman said, retracting her hands from Roxanne’s face.
Her smile slowly faded as she turned away from Roxanne’s questioning eyes and looked to the ground in a reminiscing manner.
“I know this might all be strange, but even this is guided by destiny. Roxanne… I am sure you have many questions for me. However, I can not answer them all now.” She said.
Her face returned to the girl and her eyes pierced Roxanne’s. In that moment, it was as though they stared into the other’s soul.
“However… I will tell you my name though, as well as a few other things you should heed to.” She muttered, maintaining a serious look.
Roxanne couldn’t understand the strange woman’s expression. A face of concern, yet sadness… Mixed with pride and love. These emotions could not be felt by someone who barely knew her. Who was this lady?
Slowly, her mouth opened, and she let out words with a more imposing voice, making Roxanne shake within her core.
“My name is Katrina… And Roxanne… Your life is in danger!”