"Just make yourself at home... Mi casa, you casa."
Nier said as he opened the door, stepping aside for Bella to enter.
For the first time, she saw the villa's interior not through the eyes of the many flies she had d planted days ago, but all died today when....
No she didn't want to think about it.
But nevertheless it was with her own eyes this time around.
"Wow, you really do got a nice place here."
Bella said, walking in as the villa doors creaked shut behind her.
The heavy scent of pine and chlorine hung in the air, sharp and fresh.
"Hmm... is someone swimming?"
Bella asked.
Nier placed a hand on her shoulder and replied casually.
"Yeah... I had two girls from the neighborhood come over earlier to take a swim with me. But since I had things to do, mainly picking you up, I just left them here to have fun with their kids."
He walked ahead to catch up with her, watching as she wandered deeper into the house.
She knew there were people here.
She could hear it.
But she didn't bring it up. Not yet. She didn't want to look suspicious.
Still, as she tried to play it cool and looked around.
the flicker of crystal chandeliers caught her mismatched eyes, their light dancing across high ceilings and polished black marble floors.
Ignoring the laughter coming from somewhere down the hall was starting to test her patience.
Her family magic sharpened her senses, and she could hear Tanya and Imani's voices drifting from a distant wing.
The clink of glasses mingling with soft giggles as they drank and splashed without a care in the world.
Bella's boots clicked against the marble.
Her blonde hair swayed behind her as she walked through the grand foyer, her eyes tracing every corner like she was silently claiming the place as her own.
Nier glanced at her, half amused, and little annoyed, he could sense her obvious hostility.
'She acts like she isn't richer than me... Still this one might be even more yandere than Tanya and Imani combine.'
He thought with a quiet sigh.
"You do know your stuff is still in the trunk, right?"
He called out.
"Yeah, but we got time for a quick tour, don't we?"
Bella replied without looking back, her tone teasing.
Nier let out another sigh.
"Fine. You're free to look around. I'll grab your luggage and drop it off in your room."
He turned and headed back outside.
They had gotten back to his home rather quick, and as it is, it was barely half an hour since he left, so she had time to snoop around before they needed to leave for school.
But as Nier opened his Phantom.
something went wrong.
The air warped, and the world his body distorted, and like vacuum sucking in dirt, he vanish, from the trunk area, without anyone noticing his sudden disappearance.
The car door stayed open.
Bella's luggage sat abandoned in the trunk.
"Ha!?"
"What!?"
Nier's voice echoed as the world around him changed in an instant.
He was standing in a dense forest. The air was heavy with humidity, the ground thick with moss.
Towering trees reached high into a sky swallowed by dark clouds, their forms twisted and ancient.
Flux energy filled the air...dense, wild, and untamed, the energy they released was potent as he could feel the burning sensation crawled up his skin.
This place was clearly not meant for humans to trespass upon without facing consequences.
And then he saw it.
In the distance a colossal tree rose into the heavens, its roots like mountains, its trunk wrapped in a shimmering veil of Gaian energy that pulsed faintly with life.
Nier's thoughts spun at the mere sight of it. He already knew what it was, yet his disbelief made him question everything.
"What the hell just happened!?"
He muttered, voice edged with confusion.
At that moment, Kaly appeared on his shoulder, her tone calm but urgent.
"It seems you were forcibly teleported here, darling."
"...I-I see...
Nier exhaled, his eyes scanning the shadowed terrain.
"Keep your guard up."
Kaly added softly.
"Someone is approaching, from the east."
She nestled into his vibrant red hair, hiding herself as Nier turned toward the sound. His eyes darkened to an inky black, the Occultist Eyes activating upon his will.
Footsteps approached.
Then, information flooded his vision, like a spraying hose filling a pool.
His instincts screamed, at the sight of her, knowledge filling his brain a she saw the words manifest above her head.
Name: Suldroxia Zane
Age: 837
Gender: Female
Title: 2nd Lady of the House of Zane
Race: Unclassifiable (Genetic code mixed with numerous lifeforms; defies classification)
Titles: Warlock, Demi-God
Status: Curious, Slight Infatuation, Unnaturally Suppressing Emotions.
As he looked on at the woman, preparing to fight if he must, a soft voice quickly drifted through the trees, melodic, and hauntingly calming.
"My, my... it seems my daughter has taken an interest in quite the peculiar man indeed. She wasn't exaggerating one bit here."
"...You really are something else. You're not Hesta, yet my instincts whisper caution. How curious. Tell me... are you even human, or perhaps a relic of some forgotten age pretending to be human ahh, how mysterious our world truly is."
From the forest's shadow, she emerged.
A woman of striking beauty, standing at about 5'8". Her long green hair flowed like silk, her flawless skin radiant under the dim canopy light.
A delicate headband adorned with bat-like wings sat atop her head.
She wore a form-fitting white dress with faint vertical lines, hugging every graceful curve. The sleeves fell off her shoulders, leaving her upper arms bare, and high twin slits ran along her thighs.
Long black gloves and heels completed the look, her presence commanding and otherworldly both.
Her glowing green eyes, so much like Bella's, met his.
Nier forced a calm smile, masking his racing pulse.
"And who might you be stranger?"
He asked, feigning ignorance.
The woman chuckled softly, her voice playful and sweet.
"Ara, ara... where are my manners? I am Suldroxia Zane, Bella's mother. A pleasure to finally meet you... young Nier."
Nier blinked, stunned.
"You"re Bella's mom!?"
Suldroxia smiled faintly, folding her hands before her chest.
Her posture graceful, her presence overwhelming.
"That I am indeed."