Wicked Island Of Ireland - Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

The structure of the building, which had been as gloomy as a black tomb, turned out to be surprisingly simple. After navigating through a few turns in the dark corridors, they quickly found the exit.

The invasive smoke had thinned, and fresh wind caressed their cheeks. Heavy raindrops pelted down from above. The woman removed her nose from the white shirt she’d been using as a filter and took deep breaths.

“Haa, haa, haa… I almost died, I nearly died.”

The man trudged through the verdant weeds. After setting the woman down, he collapsed beside her.

“Ah.”

For someone who had just risked his life to save another, his sentiment was remarkably succinct. The woman glanced at the red wound on his forehead as she spoke.

“Haa, haa… Thank you. Thank you for saving me. *hic* If it weren’t for you, I would have suffocated to death in there.”

The man, lying askew in the meadow, merely smoothed the shirt she had pressed against her nose. Growing tired of waiting for his response, she found herself looking up at the sky.

The heavens stretched vast above them. Though dark with rain clouds, the moonlight still managed to illuminate the landscape with a faint glow.

Emerald weeds sprawled beneath their feet, and in the distance, the sea loomed black.

Near the horizon, menacing black smoke billowed upward.

She stood on a hilltop overlooking the coast. The building she had been trapped in moments ago was now belching black smoke from its entrance.

The structure was a two-story concrete affair that seemed out of place on the deserted beach. It appeared designed for confinement, with barely any windows to speak of.

The roof was flat, and atop it sat a massive iron structure, now engulfed in flames.

Upon seeing this sight, the woman jolted upright, covering her mouth as she asked,

“What… what is that? Can you see it?”

When no answer came, she turned to look at the man.

Still lying in the meadow, he seemed to find it difficult to look at her, keeping his gaze fixed on the sky instead.

It was then that she finally looked down at herself, realizing she wore only a bra and panties.

Her underwear was snow-white, adorned with mesh and lace in a way that emphasized femininity.

Though smudged with soot and soaked by rain, the provocative design remained evident.

Perhaps the man was instinctively avoiding looking at her chest.

She crossed her arms over her chest in embarrassment.

“Um, have you called the police?”

They stood in chaos, with soil washing away in the downpour and a building ablaze.

She desperately wanted to move somewhere safe.

That’s when the man narrowed his eyes, framed by dense ash-gray lashes. His pristine blue eyes, reflecting noble breeding, traced her thighs.

His gaze burned hot. But just as she began to feel uncomfortable, those eyes fixed on the burning building’s rooftop.

“My phone… come to think of it, I don’t know where it went.”

The news hit like a bolt from the blue. She visibly shrank, shoulders hunching as she asked,

“But what fell onto the building’s roof? And why was I in there…?”

Her hands still trembled from her recent brush with death.

The acrid smell of burning lingered on her fingertips.

She couldn’t remember how she’d ended up trapped in the building.

The woman’s expression grew serious.

‘What had she been doing before being trapped? Where did she live? How old was she?’

She couldn’t even recall her name – something she should obviously know. The more she tried to extract anything from her mind, the more helpless she felt, her lips growing parched.

“Ah, something, something’s wrong… Something’s not right…”

The man rose from his position, regarding her with curiosity.

She looked up at him, hands still clutching her head.

He was tall enough that she had to crane her neck to see his face. He appeared to be of Northern European descent, with hair that started ash-gray at the roots and warmed to a gentle gray at the tips.

His refined pomade hairstyle accentuated his small face. He had the cool air of a model. Captivated by his striking appearance, she found herself staring at his eyes.

His eyebrows were ash-gray, harmonizing perfectly with his aqueous irises. She was thinking how he resembled a vampire who relished life in the shadows when he spoke.

“I’m Hayden.”

The man introduced himself with a smile.

Though there was a stark contrast between his mature body and boyish face, something about him felt familiar.

Where had she seen someone like him before? When?

But as she tried to recall, everything suddenly felt tedious, as though she were drunk, and fatigue washed over her. The man’s rich baritone voice drew her back to reality.

“And your name?”

She met Hayden’s eyes.

The building’s flames reflected threateningly in his blue irises.

An Asian woman stood before the flames. For some inexplicable reason, anxiety clawed at her chest. She hastily averted her gaze.

“Ah, I, my name is…”

Hayden turned his attention to the sea beyond, saying,

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. Right now, getting out of this rain is more urgent.”

“It’s not that I don’t want to – I can’t remember it.”

Hayden dissected her eyes with his gaze, as if verifying the truth of her words.

Then, removing his jacket, he said,

“If you can’t remember your name, I suppose I won’t be getting repayment for saving your life. Though I’d be willing to accept something other than money.”

What kind of payment could he expect from a nearly naked woman…?

Did he mean he wasn’t interested in her name but was interested in her body?

His imposing physique and prime age made his words feel threatening.

She crossed her arms defensively and asked with trepidation,

“If… if not money, what do you want?”

Hayden held out his rain-dripping jacket.

“Coffee or a movie. Dinner would work too.”

Hearing his response, she felt ashamed for having suspected him.

He seemed skilled at making people tense up and then putting them at ease. Though his rain-soaked shirt revealed his frame attractively, she deliberately looked at the ground as she accepted the jacket.

“Thank you. As soon as we get off this island, I’ll look for a way to repay you.”

She had no real intention of repaying him with just coffee or a movie.

Since he had saved her life, she wanted to gift him something truly valuable.

But for now, this unknown place frightened her, and she was shivering with cold – she just wanted to go home.

But where was home?

And would she have enough money there to pay both the life-debt and for the jacket…?

“Do you know where we are?”

The woman shook the water-heavy jacket, though it was a futile gesture in the downpour. Hayden watched this action intently before speaking.

“Some island off Ireland.”

“An island off Ireland?”

He began climbing the hill away from the coast.

“Looks like a plane and helicopter collided. The helicopter crashed into the building, starting the fire. Anyway, we need to find shelter from the rain until rescue arrives.”

“A plane crash? How did that…”

The woman donned his jacket, crossing her arms beneath her chest as she followed him up. Her legs weren’t the only things working overtime – her mind raced as well.

“Were you on the plane, Hayden? Or are you from this island?”

He twitched his eyebrow as if the wound on his forehead bothered him.

“I was on the plane.”

At least the bleeding had stopped. The woman nodded with a dark expression as she examined him.

Somewhere out there over the sea, where black smoke rose, the plane must be burning. The imagined chaos of the scene filled her with dread and sympathy.

“…I hope there are more survivors.”

But she realized this wasn’t the time to worry about others. The rainwater falling mercilessly on her body felt like ice, and his jacket was far too large.

It was so oversized that the collar gaped open, exposing her collarbone and chest. She carefully pulled the lapels together at her chest and crossed her arms.

This caused the jacket’s bottom to lift, revealing her underwear.

The message was clear: she had to choose between covering either her chest or her hips. She chose her hips, crossing her arms below her chest.

At that moment, Hayden happened to look back at her.

His blue gaze slowly traced her cleavage.

He apparently lacked the ability to pretend not to look while stealing glances.

Perhaps he’d lived a life popular enough with women that he’d never needed to resort to furtive glances. She hunched her shoulders with a start and turned her back to him.

Shhaaa…

The suddenly intensified downpour struck her back.

That’s when Hayden removed his tie and stood behind her.

“Look at me. I’ll fix your clothes properly.”

“…”

“The longer you hesitate, the more rain you’ll catch.”

Had she known what he planned to do, she would have adjusted the clothing herself, but now there was no time to notice such things.

The torrential rain left no room for thought, so she quickly turned to face him.

“Alright.”

He unbuttoned his shirt slightly and crouched before her. He pulled the jacket’s front closed like a bathrobe around her waist and secured it with his tie in a ribbon.

His fingers were delicate yet long and firm as he tied the ribbon. As she found herself captivated by his rain-slicked fingertips, he spoke.

“Surprising how slim a person’s waist can be.”

The words slipped from his rain-wet lips. Though his authoritative tone and arrogant gaze were intimidating, she maintained her composure as she replied.

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

His long index finger tapped the ribbon as if to say, ‘Not at all.’ Then he slowly raised and lowered his dark eyebrows.

Viewed from above, his facial features were unusually soft.

The thought that crossed her mind then was that many women must have desired this man.

After all, who wouldn’t be drawn to his manners that occasionally broke through his authoritative demeanor, or his relaxed gaze? These were characteristics unique to the wealthy.

It was quite an idle observation for someone who couldn’t even remember her own name. She stepped back as if to cut off her thoughts from extending toward the man.

He entered the forest, climbing the hill. The rain’s intensity continued to increase.

She followed Hayden, examining the trees. A gray bird perched on one of the branches.

The bird bore markings that resembled a black scarf around its neck. Having seen such a bird before, she spoke without thinking.

“Oh? That looks like a plover. Since they live near lakes, there might be a lake nearby.”

“…”

“There’s probably a village near the lake.”

Hayden paused and looked down at her. His aqueous gaze began to probe her eyes. He probably found it strange that a woman who couldn’t remember her own name could recognize a plover.

Though she felt somewhat indignant, she had to agree it was strange.

How could she recognize a plover when she couldn’t remember her own name?

Was the part of her brain responsible for memory damaged while the learning center remained intact?

What had been done to her?

By whom?

Why would someone do this?

A hot sensation surged through her scalp. She pressed her forehead, furrowing her brow.

Meanwhile, Hayden turned his attention to the forest interior and said,

“Good. You remembered the plover, now you just need to remember your name.”

Her mind, momentarily distracted by the plover, returned to the present. This wasn’t the time to worry about the island or the plane crash. As he pointed out, remembering her name was urgent.

However, the more she tried to recall her forgotten identity, the hazier her mind became. It felt like nodding off after taking strong medication.

She couldn’t understand what was happening inside her head. The more she thought, the more her scalp tingled.

That’s when she heard what seemed like hallucinations of various people’s voices and presences.

“What a terrible day.”

“I just want to get home and shower.”

These voices invaded her mind, disrupting her thoughts.

Fear gripped her.

She felt like she was going mad.

As she stood there entranced with fear, the voices grew louder. She looked down the hill as if possessed.

People were climbing up the hill.

They were completely drenched and had no umbrellas.