As the demon dissolved into dust and ash, silence fell over the battlefield.
Eldric's glowing mana form began to flicker, fragments drifting into the wind like dying embers. His knees buckled—and he collapsed, unconscious.
Thalira staggered toward him, but her strength gave out. Her sword slipped from her hand, and she crumpled to the ground beside him, her eyes closing as darkness claimed her.
Ren stood amidst the ruin, breathing heavily. He pulled the knife from the shattered stone, but the adrenaline had worn off. His body ached with every heartbeat. Legs trembling, vision blurring—he collapsed, unconscious, on the very stone he had broken.
Hours passed.
At last, a fleet of armored troops arrived—led by the Baron of the region. His sharp gaze swept across the scorched battlefield.
"Search the area," he commanded. "Find anyone still alive."
The soldiers dismounted and fanned out, combing through the wreckage—body by body—across pools of blood and scorched earth.
After hours of searching, they finally found signs of life.
Liora—barely breathing.
Thalira and Eldric—unconscious, but alive.
Without delay, the Baron ordered, "Get them back. Now."
And so, the fallen were carried away—while the sky above remained heavy with ash and silence
Ren stirred awake at dawn.
His breathing was heavy. The cool morning air stung his lungs as he looked around.
No one was in sight.
He sat up slowly, grimacing from the pain in his body.
"Which direction did they go?" he thought, eyes scanning the horizon. "I can't sense their mana..."
The sky above was painted in soft hues of orange and blue. For a moment, he paused—taking a deep breath of relief.
"Thank the stars," he muttered. "A whole day ahead... I still have time."
That's when he noticed it—his leg, twisted and swollen.
"First… I need to treat this."
Dragging himself to a nearby bush, he snapped a sturdy stick to use as a splint. Then, crawling a little farther, he found a patch of herbs growing near a boulder—familiar ones his mother once taught him to use.
He began gathering the broken shards of the gemstone nearby, but carefully set them aside for now.
Placing the herbs on the boulder, he ground them with a smaller stone until they formed a coarse paste. Then, with quiet determination, he smeared the paste onto his wounds, the sting making him wince.
Tearing strips from his shirt, he wrapped the treated areas tightly. With the stick braced against his leg, he tied it in place as a crude splint.
Ren exhaled sharply, sweat on his brow. Then he stood—slowly, shakily.
"I can move," he whispered.
And with that, he took his first step forward.
Ren limped through the thick bushes, each step a test of will. Eventually, he followed the sound of water—finding a narrow river winding through the trees.
He walked alongside it, hoping it would lead him to some sign of life.
But his weakened body failed him.
His foot slipped.
He stumbled—and before he could catch himself, he slid down a muddy slope and plunged into the river below.
The cold water shocked his system, dragging him under. He surfaced with a gasp, coughing and flailing. The current was strong.
"At this rate... I can't even fight this..." Ren thought bitterly. "I should just preserve my energy."
Letting go, he allowed the river to carry him. His body floated with the flow, eyes closed, breath steady, surrendering to the moment.
Time blurred.
Hours passed.
Then—"Hey! Hey, wake up!"
Ren barely opened an eye, groaning internally. "Just shut up and let me rest..."
Suddenly—FWUMP!
A fishing net smacked over him.
Next thing he knew, he was being dragged ashore—wet, tangled, and now sitting in a squirming pile of fish.
Blinking in disbelief, Ren looked up.
A cheerful fisherman stood before him, admiring the catch.
"Wow! I'm glad I saved you, kid," the man beamed. "Look at these beauties! I caught so many big fish today!"
Ren, soaked and blinking, muttered, "I am the fish..."
"Can you please get me out?"
The man crouched beside the net, grinning.
"Oh yeah—hold still," he said, carefully untangling the net from Ren's limbs.
"There. All done."
Ren exhaled in relief and gave a small bow.
"Thanks for saving me."
The man looked at him curiously. "So… where you headed?"
Ren hesitated. "First, I need to see a doctor."
The man leaned in, hands on his knees. "I can take you there."
Ren shook his head and pushed himself up. "No, I can go—"
But his legs gave out beneath him. He collapsed onto the ground with a grunt.
The man just chuckled, shaking his head.
The next thing Ren knew, he was riding piggyback.
As they walked, the man rambled on, "You're lucky. The doctor's amazing—she'll have you healed in no time. But I'm telling you now—"
Ren thought, He talks too much… but this feeling—it's just like when Dad used to carry me like this.
Before long, they arrived at a small clinic.
The man kicked the door open.
Inside, a woman sat sipping tea, relaxed—until she saw who entered.
"Why do you always kick the damn door open, you barbarian?" she shouted, not even looking up.
Ren raised a hand weakly. "Hello."
She squinted at him. "And who's kid did you kidnap this time?"
The man burst out laughing. "I fished him out of the river! Look at him!"
She sighed, finishing her tea in one last gulp.
"Put him on the bed."
The woman stood and immediately began checking Ren's injuries—burns, slashes, broken bones. Her expression changed from casual to deeply serious.
"You did a decent job stopping the bleeding," she muttered to the man. But then her fingers hovered over a burn mark.
"Ken," she said sharply. "Shut the door. And the window."
Ken obeyed silently.
She looked at Ren, her tone flat. "You fought a demon, didn't you?"
Ren's eyes widened. "H-How do you know?"
"There's a curse on your wounds," she replied. "They won't heal naturally. Not until it's removed."
She chanted a holy spell, and soft light spread over Ren's body. Then she bandaged him expertly.
"You'll stay with us until you heal," she said. "And don't tell anyone you fought a demon."
Ren nodded quietly. She wasn't just some doctor—she was his mother in this world now.
Later that evening, Ren sat at a dinner table, surrounded by warmth.
Ken was there, grinning as usual. The lady doctor—now clearly Ken's wife—served food. Two kids sat across from Ren: a boy around ten, and a girl who looked about fifteen.
As they all laughed and ate, a wave of nostalgia hit Ren. He remembered dining with his own family, long ago… in a world that felt impossibly far away.
The lady tapped his bowl. "Ren, don't zone out. Eat before it gets cold."
Ren blinked, eyes watery.
"This is… so good," he said, choking slightly as he scarfed down too fast and reached for water.
Everyone burst out laughing.
"Don't eat the whole table at once!" Ken said with a hearty laugh.
And in that moment, the house filled with warmth and laughter.
After so long…
I finally felt the warmth of having a family again