Kai's eyes fluttered open, the soft glow of dawn filtering down from the cavern's distant opening high above. His breath came steady and slow, his body remarkably lighter and less aching than before.
He blinked, taking in the mottled shadows and uneven stone walls around him. The dull throb in his back was gone — the deep claw wound healed as if by some unseen hand.
Yet, a profound weariness tugged at his limbs and mind. It weighed heavier than any pain he had borne. He tried to sit up but found his muscles weak, trembling under the effort.
A wave of lethargy washed over him after exerting a bit of effort. Kai felt as if all energy has been sucked out of him but at least it was better than being in excruciating pain that he was expecting.
Asha sat beside him, her face a mix of relief and exhaustion. She could finally release that heavy tightness gripping her heart.
"Kai?" she whispered, voice trembling. "You're awake?"
He turned to her, voice faint but steady. "I am. The pain... it's gone. What happened?"
Asha's eyes glistened. "The tree… the little flower child, she... she merged with you. She used her strength to heal you."
Her fingers brushed his forehead gently, amazed that all his cuts and bruises have been replaced by smooth skin. "You were fading. I thought I might lose you."
Kai stared at his hands, then down at his body, as if searching for proof of the mysterious presence inside him. "A tree? Flower child? Merged... with me? How is that even possible?"
He tried to piece together what his mother just said. He understood logically what each word meant but as he tried to understand the meaning behind it, he was utterly confused.
Did I combine with a tree? Am I half-man, half-tree now? A treeman? Also, what's with this flower child?
Weird thoughts kept surfacing as he tried to get a grasp on what's going on.
His heart raced with both wonder and unease. "An unknown thing... inside my body... What does this mean? Something went inside me?"
Watching her son in his state of confusion made Asha's eyes redden as guilt welled up from within.
"I…I'm sorry Kai. I didn't know what else to do. If anything bad happens to you now, it's all my fault." Asha choked as she wrung her hands in self-reproach.
Kai held her hands in his and looked into her eyes. "Mom, I'm fine. I feel much better now. I don't feel anything wrong. Just tired. I should…still be me."
Asha smiled softly but with worry etched deep. "You're still you. But... you also seem different. Changed. I'm not sure how, but I have a feeling."
She pulled her cloak tighter around herself, shivering. "You're very weak. The tree used all of its energy. Look, it even turned into dust." She gestured to the pile beside them.
Kai's voice dropped to a whisper, laced with awe and a tinge of fear. "Wait, that pile used to be a tree? And now it's become a part of me?"
Asha nodded. "I think so. I watched as it dropped some sort of magical golden liquid in your mouth. Then your injuries healed up before my eyes. It was a miracle."
Kai tried to sense his own body, there was no more pain, but he mostly felt weak and exhausted.
However, there was a very subtle and almost unnoticeable new sensation within him, like a slight warmth, but he wasn't sure if that was due to something merging with him or if it was just a normal feeling in his body.
Asha noticed her son's wan face and slightly swaying body. It seems that although his life is no longer in danger, there are still some side effects of such a miracle.
"For now, we must rest."
Kai looked down at his ragged clothes scattered across the stone floor, remnants of their ordeal. Slowly, he rose and began gathering them, carefully inspecting each tear. As he folded the remnants, something caught his eye — a small, dark object nestled in the folds. He pulled out his dragon scale. It was scratched and dulled but still whole.
He held it up, a fragile talisman of survival. "I still have this," he murmured. "But... everything else is gone."
His gaze shifted to his mother, whose body bore bruises and scratches, fatigue weighing heavily in her eyes. His worry surged like a tide. "Mother, you're hurt. You've been through so much." He hesitated, then carefully knelt beside her. "We need to get you better."
Asha shook her head gently, wincing. "I'm alive, that's what matters. You... you're the one who was almost lost."
Kai's hands clenched, frustration bubbling up. "I want to explore the cavern, find a way out, find something to help us." He tried to stand but faltered, his strength failing him once again.
"No, Kai," Asha said firmly, gripping his arm. "You're weak. You need to rest."
He pulled gently away. "But you—"
"I'm not going anywhere," she interrupted, voice soft but insistent. "Let me go. You stay here, heal."
Their gazes locked — a silent battle of wills, worry, and love. Finally, Kai exhaled, defeat mingling with concern. "Alright. But you're also hurt so don't go anywhere. We can rest for a little while. Then I'll search."
They settled together under the only patch of sunlight that spilled like liquid gold onto the rocky island, shedding their wet clothes and laying them out to dry.
The warmth was a balm, easing their aching bodies.
Now that both were fully naked, Kai was about to admire her sexy figure, but all he could see were the extent of the injuries covering her body, giving him pause.
Her chapped and pale lips. Her damp, tangled hair. Her calloused hands. Many dark bruises and cuts especially around her limbs and back. The recently formed scar on her leg. Her sallow cheeks.
Seeing his mother so battered and comparing it to his unblemished body left him feeling disconsolate, paying no more mind to her figure.
Asha noticed his troubled frown and understood what he was thinking. She didn't want him to worry so much so she pulled him into her embrace to lie down.
"You don't have to worry so much, it will all heal in time." Asha gently consoled as she stroked his hair, glad to have her boy healthy and in her arms again.
"I know. I just don't like seeing you like this." Kai complained, but he hugged her back as her motherly care and soft, warm body lulled him into sleep once again.
Feeling his breathing slow, Asha smiled to herself as she also closed her weary eyes while thinking to herself, my son is the best!
Time passed slowly. Kai's energy crept back bit by bit. At last, he rose from his nap, steadier now, and slowly left his mother's embrace without waking her.
Although he still felt a bit weak, he was no longer as exhausted as before, so he began to explore the cavern's edges, wading into the cold, clear water.
The cavern was mostly barren — jagged rocks slick with moss and lichen, occasional patches of strange fungi casting faint phosphorescence. The air smelled of earth and damp stone.
After some swimming and careful climbing, Kai discovered a narrow stream feeding out from the underground lake. The water rushed steadily through a tunnel just barely taller than the water itself — forcing him to swim nearly submerged, keeping his face above water for breath.
He studied the passage, his pulse quickening. He tried to peer down the slight gap between the stream and the tunnel to see how far it went.
It was mostly dark but with his enhanced vision, he could barely make out the glow of light almost washed out by the darkness.
Hopefully that meant the exit of this tunnel isn't too far away.
After circling the entire cavern, he swam back to the rocky island. Upon return, he noticed his mother was already sitting up, awake.
"Mom," he called softly on his return, "there's an outlet. A tunnel. It flows out of the cavern."
Asha looked up from their drying clothes, eyes bright with hope but shadowed with concern. "Is it safe?"
Kai shook his head. "It's tight. We'd have to stay mostly underwater, surfacing for air. But it's a way out."
Asha stood, wincing slightly at the effort. "What about the other way — the opening above?"
Kai frowned. "Too high. No way to climb."
Silence stretched between them.
Asha sighed. "We cannot stay here. No food. No shelter. There is water… and there's fish, but no tools to catch them."
Kai nodded slowly, heart heavy. "So, the choice is the tunnel or waiting for rescue, but that's like asking for a miracle."
Asha chuckled. "You never know, a miracle already occurred here after all."
Kai scratched his cheek with a wry smile. Since he never witnessed the miracle, he forgot about that.
Asha reached for his hand. "We'll go together then."
Kai squeezed her fingers, a fierce determination rising in his chest. "Together."