Meanwhile, back in the village, Jess stood atop the village walls, eyes fixed on the horizon.
Chief Erdan watched her from the window of his flour shop, his brows furrowed with guilt. Jess hadn't spoken to him since four days ago—when he told her that Shad had left the village with his permission.
Four days.
And still, no sign of him.
Jess was known as the only herbalist in the village. But to Chief Erdan, their relationship had begun even before Jess became a permanent resident of the village. He had known her since she was still a child.
Seeing her face and demeanor the past few days, he could not help but remember how the child looked when her parents died. Face pale, lips drawn tight, shoulders stiff. Since then, this was the first time she had looked that way.
Chief Erdan, had started having regrets, giving his permission to Shad.
"Why did I say yes?" he muttered under his breath. "The boy's barely twenty. Damn it, he looked so sure when he asked. Even scared me a little." He stared toward the mountains, fists tightening, looking at the direction of the mountains through his flour shop. "Don't tell me you're already dead out there, son…"
The next day, just before dawn, the village gates creaked open.A horse-drawn carriage rolled in, wheels rattling across the cobbled path.
Two merchants hopped down from their wagon, looking weary but otherwise calm. Jess didn't bother glancing at them. Just another trade day.
But then came the shouting.
"Move aside! Get the doctor!"A frantic voice. One of the merchants, still seated in the carriage.
Jess stiffened.
"Get the doctor, you idiots! This young man will die in my carriage if you don't move!"
"We already have enough bad luck."
The urgency in his tone snapped everyone to attention. Even Chief Erdan rushed out, barking orders at his workers and the guards to call the doctor and prepare the clinic.
Jess ran. Tears welled in her eyes as a young man with light brown hair was carried to the Chief Hall's clinic.
She hurriedly followed them. But when Jess arrived, the man in the doctor's table was a stranger.
Erdan watched her reaction carefully. Shouldn't she be relieved? He wasn't sure. Chief Erdan did not how to feel as well.
"Hello Sir," he decided to turn to the merchant, "I'm Erdan, the chief of this village. Can I ask what happened?"
"Chief Erdan! Nice to meet you!" the merchants said simultaneously and shook his hand.
"We were on our way to the city when we met some people on the way who said they were from this village. These people were wounded badly from head to toe. We offered to help… but they insisted we prioritize that young man."
"They practically shoved him into our carriage and told us to get him here as fast as we could," the other merchant added, voice still shaky. "It was… an experience I won't forget."
The merchants said, shaking their head, as if they were terrorized.
Lighting up, Erdan nodded. "These men—can you describe them? Their age perhaps."
"Ah, it was a man who looked to be in their fifties and thirties. But the one that stuck out—"
"Were they with a younger kid perhaps? Probably just twenty years old? blonde?" he asked quickly. "Sharp eyes? Quiet?"" Chief Erdan urgently asked.
The merchants' faces darkened.
"I was just about to mention that guy. He was the one who was the most unforgettable. He put a dagger at my throat. Scariest damn kid I've ever met. It's not that we would not help, but he threatened to kill me and my cousin if we did not help!"
"He was really scary." The other said, "He really held that dagger as if he was really going to slit our throats with it."
Hearing this, Chief Erdan exhaled and formed a smile on his face.
"Also—uh," the merchant scratched his head, "they mentioned something about you owing them four gold coins for the transport."
"CHIEF!"
But Erdan was already gone, sprinting out the door.
At the very same time, at the village gates, they saw them. Three men, emerging from the treeline. Boots caked in dried blood and mountain dust.
A man in his thirties with broad shoulders and square face was leading a chestnut horse. Atop it sat an older man. And slumped behind him being carried by the horse—a boy. Blonde hair matted with dried blood on his head.
The guards at the gate froze. One dropped his spear.
"Th-the missing hunters—?!" he stammered.
"Yo! We are back!" the thirty-year-old hunter cheerfully greeted, while waving his hand and smiling despite his wounds.
The older hunter said nothing. He just sighed with relief, eyes lifting to the sky in exhausted relief.
The village stirred slowly. Word spread like fire on dry bark. By the time they reached the square, half the village had gathered. Murmurs. Gasping.
Then finally, two children, aged 10 and 16, ran to meet the cheerful hunter, crying with joy.
And then—Jess.
She pushed through the crowd, hair undone, apron dusted with flour, face pale with shock. She saw the motionless blood-smeared body of the boy who lived with her for years slumped against the horse.
She was sure.
That was Shad.
Seeing him, she froze and couldn't talk, and soon, the village realized why.
"Jess, he's actually al—" Erdan then said, with one of the merchants who chased after him, informed.
All of a sudden, however, the body in the horse stirred, unmounting itself.
His golden eyes blinked in the morning sun. His blonde hair, tangled and dulled with blood, still shone like gold. And his expressionless face.
The young man was somewhat known in the village.
Now, he looked very different.
He always looked extraordinary. But this time, not just that he was strapped in hunting pouches, and had knives equipped. His attire was just as worn out as the missing hunters.
It looked like he was dripped in a sack of blood. Bruises ran across his jaw and temple. Cuts along his arms.
Shad looked around, seeing the village and the uncanny looks upon him and just sighed and started walking away.
Then to his surprise, there was Jess Lilia.
Shad saw her. But didn't stop.
He turned his head, just slightly, as if to acknowledge her—then continued walking away and the crowd even parted silently to let him through.
Chief Erdan could not be more amazed.
But Jess wasn't having it.
"Shad!"
Her voice cut through the murmurs.
But Shad never stopped. With her jaw tight, she then turned as she stormed toward him, boots slapping hard against the dirt.
"You—! Are you insane?!" she snapped, eyes wide. "You went into the mountains alone? Without telling anyone?!"
"I did, didn't I." he said flatly.
"You could've died!"
"No."
Jess exhaled sharply, fists clenched. "You're unbelievable."
"Sure."
"Stop walking and face me."
Shad did not stop. There was a long silence between them.
Still following him, Jess' chest heaved from running and stopped. His shoulders were stiff. Neither of them moved.
"You. Please face me. At least listen to me," she said finally, softer this time, with tears streaming down her cheeks.
Shad sighed. Even if he ignored it, he could hear her heartbeat and her sobbing. Unfortunately, his senses had increased since the fight.
But that wasn't the issue.
Something stirred in his chest. He does not understand but he had felt foreign emotions since he had become the Shad the village had known. One of them was at that moment which he could not describe.
He didn't answer immediately. His gaze drifted to the hut in the distance. The carvings still sat unfinished outside.
Then he glanced over his shoulder, enough for the girl to see the faintest and gentlest smile at the corners of his mouth.
"Let's go home," he said.
Jess blinked.
And soon.
The biggest smile bloomed across her face.
Jess swallowed hard. Her eyes glistened—but she quickly looked away, rubbing at them with the back of her hand.
"You're still stupid," she muttered.
Hurriedly, she then stepped closer. Hesitated. Then reached up and pinched him lightly on the arm.
"Next time," she said, voice trembling just enough to notice, "you tell me before you run off like that."
Shad looked at her. There was blood drying along his jaw, a scratch on his cheekbone, dirt across his brow—but his eyes were steady and clear, as he looked at the skies.
He didn't answer.
'Can I really do that? I don't think so,' he answered in his mind.
Jess stepped closer again. Their arms brushed.
"I'm really glad you came back," she said quietly, but again, he didn't say anything back.