CHAPTER 200: CHAPTER-200

"Why?" she repeated, exasperated. "Do you think this is normal? I mean—have you seen anything like this before?"

Veer’s head tilted, and then he nodded without hesitation.

"Of course. It’s not something you find in every house, sure, but plenty of village chiefs’ homes and older buildings have the same structure."

She stared at him, still not convinced. "So... you’re saying this is common?"

"Yes," he replied matter-of-factly. "In elders’ houses, temples, and a few other places I’ve been—it’s nothing out of the ordinary."

Veer’s gaze roamed restlessly across the room, scanning every corner as if the walls themselves might whisper secrets. Kaya lingered a moment longer at the doorway, taking in the interior. Her eyes traced the polished drawers lining the walls, each topped with a small flower vase—delicate, perfectly arranged.

When her fingertips brushed the smooth wood, a strange jolt ran through her—not painful, but enough to send a shiver up her spine. What on earth is hidden in this world? She had read about beastmen worlds in novels—rough, primitive places, with bare necessities and crude living conditions. Yet here she stood, surrounded by details that felt almost... refined. First, Veer’s surprisingly well-made clothes, and now this?

As she moved from drawer to drawer, pulling each one open, her thoughts began to wander. She was so caught between curiosity and disbelief that she hardly noticed her growing frustration—each drawer was empty, disappointingly so.

Finally, her gaze drifted upward to the narrow staircase. Without a word, Kaya straightened, brushed her hands on her sides, and began climbing, each step creaking faintly under her weight.

Veer had already turned the kitchen into something between a battlefield and a crime scene by the time Kaya started climbing the stairs. She took each step like it was a sacred ritual—slow, cautious, and with the grace of someone trying not to trip on her own feet.

Veer blinked once, and—whoosh—his wings shot out. In the time it took Kaya to place her foot on the next step, he had already launched himself upward, landing on the first-floor landing in less than half a second. The wind from his wings ruffled her hair as he neatly folded them back, as if nothing had happened.

Kaya froze mid-step, stared at him, and said flatly,

"Like... what the hell?"

Veer glanced over his shoulder at Kaya, a faint, knowing smile tugging at his lips.

"It’s best if I go first," he said.

Kaya rolled her eyes but didn’t argue. The hallway was narrow, with three doors along its length. They stopped at the first. Kaya lingered by the frame, watching Veer expectantly. He shook his head at her hesitation and, without a second thought, pushed the door open and stepped in.

Inside, the air was stale, with that faint, earthy smell of a place closed for years. Veer gestured for her to follow. Kaya stepped inside and took in the small single bed pressed against one wall, a wooden almirah with its hinges slightly rusted, a low set of drawers, and a squat table tucked into the corner.

They began searching immediately—yanking open drawers, shoving aside bed sheets, checking under the mattress. Kaya found a pile of clothes folded in a hurry, and Veer pulled open a cupboard to reveal jars of food long past their time, the contents furry with mold. Nothing worth keeping.

They exchanged a glance, and without a word, moved to the second door.

This time Veer pushed it open without hesitation. Kaya followed him in. The moment her foot crossed the threshold, the room seemed to come alive.

A sudden, violent flurry of movement erupted from above, accompanied by high-pitched screeches. Shadows burst from the rafters—bats, dozens of them—wheeling and diving chaotically in the cramped space. Their wings beat the air in frantic bursts, the leathery sound filling her ears.

"Ugh! Ahhh!" Kaya yelped, instinctively ducking.

Veer swore under his breath, his hands coming up to shield his head as the swarm swept past them. The rush of air from their wings was cold and sharp, carrying the sour, musky scent of guano and damp stone.

The bats streamed out the open doorway, their movements so frenzied that Kaya felt the brush of wings against her hair and the sharp tickle of claws grazing her sleeve. She kept her head low until the last of them were gone, the noise fading into the distance down the corridor.

Only then did she lift her gaze. The room was a wreck—layers of dust so thick they muted the color of the floor, cobwebs sagging in the corners, and dark smears of bat droppings along the walls. From the stale, suffocating air and the grime underfoot, it was obvious no one had set foot here in years.

Kaya exhaled sharply. "are you okay.."

"Yeah, you?"

She nodded, and together they turned to the second room. This one was different—more like a storage space. No bed, no table, nothing that gave it the warmth of the previous room. The air was stale, heavy with the scent of dust and something faintly rotten. Wooden crates were stacked unevenly along the walls, their surfaces worn and splintered.

They began searching. The first crate Kaya opened nearly made her yelp—inside, a writhing spill of pale worms tumbled out, some dropping onto her arm. She staggered back with a sharp gasp, frantically brushing them off while Veer grimaced but kept going.

The rest wasn’t much better. Crates held stacks of old clothes, chipped household items, a cracked flower vase, and a jar of what might once have been milk—now a sour, solid lump that made Kaya wrinkle her nose.

She was about to call it quits when she noticed one small box pushed far into the corner, half-hidden behind a larger crate. It was covered in a fine layer of dust, but unlike the others, it looked untouched. Pulling it out, she knelt down and slowly pried open the lid.

Inside, everything was arranged with care—so unlike the chaotic mess in the other boxes. Right on top were a few wooden toys. Her fingers paused on a small horse, no bigger than her hand. Its edges were rougher in places, , but the shape was careful, deliberate.