It was warm. Ender could feel the comfort of lying somewhere soft and cozy. He gradually opened his woozy eyes as gentle beams of light filtered in from above.
He tried to move, but found all his limbs tied to the corners of the bed by thick ropes. As his vision slowly cleared, he began to take in his surroundings.
He was in a small room. In front of him was a narrow window through which soft light streamed, and in the right corner stood a solitary door.
He tried to get up but was struck by a sharp pain in his stomach, slamming him back down again.
"I'm alive."
He murmured, staring at the ceiling before his gaze shifted toward the door.
"Where the hell am I?"
Luckily, the ropes weren't tied that tightly, so he could somehow manage to sit, leaning back against the bed.
The wound in his stomach was still fresh, twitching at the slightest movement. Yet, somehow, gasping heavily, he managed to get up.
It was then that the door creaked, grabbing his attention.
A young girl wearing a hood came in. She was taken aback when she saw that Ender had woken up.
Yet she didn't say anything and went over to him, observing him. Ender, having grasped the situation, understood why she had done this.
Seeing her, even though there was only faint light here, his eyes widened when he realized it.
~ She?... This is... the same girl... I saw before collapsing...
Before he could ask anything, she moved her lips.
"You have been unconscious for the past two days."
She spoke mechanically, with composure.
Ender was stunned by this statement. For a few seconds, silence surrounded them before he spoke with a raspy voice.
"Did you... save me?"
But her reply was completely different.
"How did you get here?"
He sighed before opening his mouth and beginning to tell his tale.
....
"So you're lost?"
"I don't think so. I do know my way home. It's just because I was heavily injured, so I couldn't find my way."
She showed a slight reaction before mumbling in a low voice.
"Oh. I'm sorry."
"It's understandable. Can't blame you."
Ender gave a brief smile to make the dense air around them lighter as she began untying the ropes.
After getting up and checking his wrists, which weren't much red, Ender realized he had no signs of hunger erupting within him.
Before he could say something.
"Follow me."
With a whisper, the girl led him toward the door.
There were stairs leading to another door. The girl paused before opening it with the ring of keys she held in her hands.
Opening the door, they found a hallway. The girl quickened her pace, and so did Ender, as the main door was right before them.
When it opened, a beautiful sight of greenery appeared, with a river flowing in the distance.
Astonished by the gorgeous view, Ender locked his gaze onto it for a moment. The river cascaded down from the massive mountains above, and when he tilted his head to the left, he caught sight of a dense forest lingering in the distance.
Amidst looking at the scenery, he realized something that made his eyes widen.
"You saw me from there?"
He murmured, looking at the grassy field before the dense forest.
"I was just passing by and saw someone bloody coming out of the woods, so I went to check it out."
She spoke frankly.
Ender glanced behind him to see a decent house. It wasn't that small, but it wasn't that big either.
Then his gaze went over to her, as she was staring at him with an unreadable look. Her dark brown hair leaked out from the loose hood.
He saw those pearls fixed on him and tilted his head upwards toward the sky. It was clear today.
"Well, I gotta go then. Thanks. I'll forever remember your help."
He said with a smile, gazing at the sky. A breeze passed by them, embracing them in its cool warmth.
Turning around, his stomach wound was still fresh, so he had to be extra careful not to provoke it.
Still, there was a question lingering in his mind since he had woken up here. And he blurted it out mindlessly.
"By the way, do you live here alone?"
She was startled. Ender realized he had subconsciously blurted it out before he could even realize it, and he faced her again.
"Sorry, I was being too blunt. I have no right."
He put on an idiot's smile, scratching his head like an idiot as well.
"No, there are plenty of people living here. It's just they're not here at this moment."
Ender's eyes relaxed upon hearing her words. He spoke with clarity.
"Well... if you don't mind, I'd like to meet up with your people next time."
She looked puzzled, as if she couldn't grasp what he had just said. But then her amber eyes widened as she finally understood what he had meant.
She didn't know what to say, looking at him in disbelief. He chuckled upon seeing her reaction.
"I didn't know you would take it seriously."
She didn't say anything, then sighed.
"Good luck on reaching your home."
Ender didn't say anything. He simply turned toward the forest and continued walking.
Seeing him go, the girl thought.
~ I hope he never comes again... I even lied...
***
After being informed that our goods had been attacked while they were being transported by our customers, with Ender being with them as well, Sara was behaving unusually.
She wasn't talking much these days, and even if she did, it wouldn't last a minute. Thankfully, Marine's condition was improving. But she too was deeply affected by her brother's absence.
Leaning against the wall and watching the clear sky, I wondered, he can't just die, right? It's just too irrational. Like a wrong answer in a mathematical equation. Gosh... I'm starting to go crazy. These memories come at the worst time.
We informed the police about this case, and today their sheriff was specially coming to investigate. That's why I was here, waiting for him to arrive.
"Ruis."
I turned my head to see Sara, who had bags under her eyes, scratching her head.
"Did you ask when they will come?"
It was mid-afternoon, and she had closed her shop today as well.
"They'll be here at any moment."
It was then, in this silent alley, that we heard footsteps approaching us. They were composed and heavy.
It caught our attention, so we looked toward where they were coming from. Then, from around a corner, a man came out. He was old, but not that old.
He was wearing a simple outfit, yet it didn't weaken his aura. He was quite tall too, with his sword resting in its sheath.
"Are you two waiting for me?"
His tone was solemnly firm, as was his expression. But I recognized that voice... Just who was he?
Suddenly, I found the man observing me. His eyes met mine.
Wait... No... This can't be... Master... Why are you?... Like this... I thought... you would never let yourself... be controlled...
Moments Later...
I was sitting on the couch. On another couch was my master. Marine was beside me, and she had placed a pillow between her legs that was big enough to even cover her face.
Sara came with a tray of tea and biscuits and took a small chair before sitting by us.
Then we began gossiping about how things had turned out like this, as Marine wasn't interested in our conversation. She took some biscuits and left.
In our conversation, I didn't dare to look into his eyes. My heart was racing.
Just why?
Master talked about freedom. Rising above everyone else. Yet he was here, working for someone above him.
Maybe there was a reason. I didn't know yet.
"Alright, we'll send our men to look for him, but it has been two days, so the chances are low."
He stated it plainly. Sara didn't express anything, just a blank gaze.
"Brother!"
Out of the blue, we heard Marine yelling at the front door.
I was about to get up to check, but then I saw a guy coming here exhausted. He was wearing torn clothes, and almost half of his body was covered in bandages.
Sara, me, and even the sheriff were surprised by this sight. Marine wasn't letting him go, sobbing onto his chest.
"A miracle..."
The sheriff let out a whisper.
....
Ender was lying on the bed, unconscious. A doctor was here checking him.
Sara's expression was different from before. If it weren't for stopping Marine, she would have squeezed his bones.
"His wounds are severe, but someone had bandaged them really well. And on time. He has lost plenty of blood, but he'll be all good in a few weeks."
The doctor declared after checking him.
"Thank you. I'll lead the way."
The sheriff spoke with sincerity as he led him outside.
The three of us were still puzzled. It was all just too sudden.
"Looks like we're gonna have to babysit him together."
Finally, Sara spoke in her clumsy tone. She didn't smirk, yet her expression had lightened.
"Ruis!"
I heard the sheriff calling me from outside, so I went to check. Upon arriving, I found him watching the little kids playing.
But when he saw me, his soft face quickly tightened.
"It's truly a miracle that your senior is still alive. I mean, who helps a random stranger these days?"
His tone was light. I clumsily made my reply.
"I mean, we all are surprised, sir. He literally came back from death's door."
"Miracles are just an illusion. It all depends on our faith in the end."
He turned and began walking.
If what he said was the truth... then why was I born?
***
It was late at night. Ender was lying on his bed, his eyes telling him he wasn't sleepy at all. His thoughts were drifting somewhere, somewhere he didn't even know.
~ For the past two days, she took care of me. Even though I'm a nobody, yet then... Why did she do that?
He turned to the other side.
~ Maybe she's a mature woman... but her face. She looked like she was my age. Yet living alone, even at that age, maybe she's just used to it. That explains why she was behaving like that.
He gently got up, looking at the night sky from the window.
~ The view there was beautiful, though. It taunts me. How big this world is... yet we're here... rotting till our deaths... Is that the only escape?
He sighed before lying down again.
***
It was morning. The sky was cloudy, and it was quite windy today.
The girl was outside. She had a basket in her hand and was collecting flowers in it.
She was so busy with her work that she got startled when...
"Yoo!"
She reflexively took out a knife, turning around to see Ender, who was startled as well. They were several steps away from each other.
Seeing him, she lowered her knife. But her reaction was still bewildered.
"What the hell? You remembered this place?"
"I mean, can this place be forgotten?"
She looked at him, giggling like a child.
"My name is Ender."
He finally spoke after controlling his laughter.
For the first time, the girl's eyes softened. She murmured.
"Misha..."