At night.
Ethan was sitting by the stove, his face lit by the flickering flames. He is having beast meat today, as he had no luck finding any fish. Mary sat in a wooden seat, right beside Ethan. She grabbed a plate and started clanking them, while chanting. "We want food. We need food."
Ethan just stared at Mary in between cooking but did not say anything. He wanted to ask questions such as "What are you still doing here" Or "Can you just be quiet for a moment?" But he knew that it was pointless. Someone as free willed as her would do as she pleased no matter what he said. So he just focused on the food.
After a hefty and delicious eating, Ethan now sat busy sharpening his blade while Mary laid flat on her stomach just a few feet away from him, her legs swaying momentarily.
"Do you really have to work on that blade now?" Mary asked, her voice clearly bored and annoyed.
"You have done this every night after coming to this place like a damn daily ritual. You can skip a day sometimes, you know?
"I know" Ethan replied flatly.
Mary narrowed her eyes. She opened her mouth to retort when suddenly, a female scream cut through the quiet of the night.
"What was that?" Mary asked, her voice edged with worry as got up and sat.
Ethan didn't stop his work while replying, "Probably someone being killed out in the inner area," he replied coldly, his focus still on his blade as he held a small cloth on his mouth.
"Can you not say that so calmly while you work on your blade? It makes you seem like a serial killer for some reason." She teased, though her eyes betrayed her concern. Ethan only grunted, ignoring her jab.
The scream echoed again, growing louder and closer.
"Ok, that seems like it is coming closer to this place." Mary said in a concerned voice. She then went closer to the edge of the tree and dragged Ethan there too.
They looked at the direction the scream was coming from. Soon, from the shadows of the dense forest, a figure emerged in the faint moonlight. A young girl about Ethan's age was running for her life. She was bleeding from her leg, and her eyes were wide with terror. Behind her, four C-rank Magmafang Scorpion stalked relentlessly. The creature's magma-filled body left a trail of sizzling heat wherever it went.
The girl was desperately trying to hold her ground. With trembling hands, she summoned an ice field around her, forming a fragile barrier against the scorching magma. But the heat was too strong, while the ice was too weak, so it melted almost as soon as it formed. Her injuries were severe, and it was clear she was fighting a losing battle.
"I feel bad for her," Mary whispered, her tone softening. "But it's not our place to get involved, right?" She looked to Ethan for his opinion, expecting a simple dismissal as always.
Instead, Ethan's eyes flashed with anxiousness. "What is she doing here? She should not have any reason to come here." he muttered, his jaw clenching as he began shaking with anxiousness. Without another word, he reached for his trusted Nightbane and then started to jump off the tree, using the tree branches to land fast yet safe from the massive trees.
"Wait, where are you going, Ethan?!" Mary called out, panic rising in her voice. But he didn't pause. His pace quickened as he plunged deeper into the darkness with a hint of worry in his face.
At the Battle.
The scene was chaotic. The girl stood her ground in a clearing, her hands shaking as she tried to build a fortress of ice around herself with shaking hands. Her ice walls were fragile and quickly melting under the relentless attack of the Magmafang Scorpions, which hissed and snarled as it pushed forward.
"Damn it. If only I wasn't injured..." she thought desperately, her inner voice laced with regret. "We shouldn't have gone behind my father's back like this."
With each burst of effort, she tried to form more ice walls, but her strength was failing her. Soon, she collapsed to the ground, exhausted and barely able to move. The Magmafang Scorpion advanced slowly, clearly enjoying the hunt.
"Help me... Father. Nyx" she whimpered, a single tear rolling down her cheek as hope faded from her eyes.
Then, without warning, a burst of explosions shot through the air, engulfing the beasts. Ethan had arrived. He stepped directly in front of the girl, his eyes scanning her for injuries before turning his attention to the scorpion.
With swift, precise swings of his nightbane sword, he began beheading the injuries and almost roasted beasts one by one. The sound of sizzling fire mixed with the clang of metal created a fierce symphony of battle. The girl watched, wide-eyed and mesmerized by the display of raw skill.
After about three minutes, the last of the scorpions fell. The clearing grew quiet again, the only sounds the heavy breathing of the girl. Ethan sheathed his sword and walked over to the girl, who was still lying on the ground, too weak to move.
He observed her carefully, her lips growing green. She was bleeding from her eyes and ears.
"She was poisoned." Ethan said after the rough examination. "That explains why someone as strong as her was struggling to beat some C-rank beasts."
"Can you heal her?" Mary asked softly.
"Yeah." Ethan replied firmly. Gently, he lifted her up and pulled out an A-rank healing potion from his system storage.
"This should be more than enough to heal her." Ethan said as he held it carefully at her lips, but she couldn't swallow it on her own. The potion dribbled down, pooling in the dirt.
"Tch. looks like the poison has spread too far, interfering with her neural path," Ethan murmured to himself. He looked at the girl laying on his hands, clearly worsening as time went on.
"Looks like I have no other choice." Without a pause, he took another A-rank vial from his storage. But this time, instead of giving it to her, he tipped it into his own mouth. Then he went and straight up kissed her.
"Wha, Wha, what are you doing?" Mary exclaimed, her voice filled with disbelief. The unexpected kiss shocked the girl too, but she was unable to say anything because if her condition.
The girl stared, her eyes wide, as Ethan transferred the potion from his mouth to hers in a quick, desperate move.
After a few moments, Ethan pulled back, and the healing potion began working its magic. The color began to return to the girl's face as her wounds visibly started to mend. Her lips were slowly turing back to normal while the bleeding from her eyes and ears stopped.
Mary's cheeks flushed bright red as she scolded, "You pervert! How could you just kiss an unarmed girl like that? Even if it was an emergency, you—" Her words were cut off as a strange change took over the scene.
Suddenly, the girl's body began to glow. Her white eyes started shifting to a shimmering gold, and a soft light radiated from her, bathing the clearing in an otherworldly glow.
"Just what is happening?" Mary screamed, covering her eyes as she took a step back. But Ethan remained calm. He gently patted her head and said, "Don't come out now. She is injuries and if you manifest, it will hinder her healing. So, let her rest." However, the glow did not stop.
Then, with a mischievous grin that was completely out of character, he added, " Don't worry. I'll come looking for you. I promise." The glow around the girl pulsed softly as if in response.
"Promise?" a quiet voice seemed to echo in the charged air.
"Only if you promise not to bring her anywhere dangerous like this anymore," Ethan responded, his smile unwavering.
"But in two years-"The voice again spoke.
Ethan cut her off. "I know you are worried about the invasion, but you can't make her grow like this. You will only make her die sooner."
The voice became quiet. Ethan then again spoke. "Don't worry. I will personally come soon and train her."
He then smiled again and said. "Besides, I still have a promise left to keep from my previous life."
The voice kept quiet for a while before exploding in a child like laughter. "It's a promise. You will visit us soon, right?"
"I will." Ethan replied.
The glow started to wear off as the laughter became distant. As the glow gradually faded, the girl's hair returned to its natural white, and her eyes cleared.
Slowly, the girl stirred and looked up, confusion and shock etched on her face. "How did you—?" she began, but Ethan was already on his feet.
"You should have recovered enough," he said in a cold, matter-of-fact tone. "Now leave and return to where you belong. This place is not for a naive girl like you." Pointing firmly in the direction he wanted her to go, he then turned and vanished into the dark of the night.
The girl stood there, disbelief written all over her face. After a moment, she bowed her head slightly in gratitude and began moving in the direction Ethan had pointed.
Ethan lingered in the shadows just long enough to make sure she was safe, then returned to join Mary.
"Okay, I have a million questions—starting with who she is and why you treated her like that," Mary said, her tone a mix of curiosity and shock. She had never seen Ethan act so kindly towards anyone but Elise before. Even she did not get treated that nicely.
"Just who is she? How do you know her? Just who was that voice? And how could you kiss her like that?" Mary pressed, unable to hide her astonishment.
Ethan glanced back over his shoulder, his eyes still fixed on the path the girl had taken. "I thought you would be more curious about how she knew about the invasion." he replied shortly, his tone cool and distant as he continued to watch until he was sure she was safely on her way.
"Yeah, that too. Just what was that about? And why do you not seem surprised?" Mary pressed. However it was clear that she was more interested in the previous questions.
"Just drop it," Ethan said bluntly as he began to head for the shelter while Mary kept pestering her.
Just who was that girl? Who was that voice and how does she know about the invasion? Why was Ethan not surprised with their interection? And how will they impact his story? Stay tuned to find out.