"Oh, I see… Okay, I learned what I wanted… So I'm leaving." Sky nodded, a flicker of thought crossing his face as he began to rise from the stone. But Isha, tears streaming down her face, wiped them away with a desperate hand before Sky could even take a single step.
"Hey, wait! Don't leave me here! I don't know where I am!" Her voice was a terrified plea, the fear of abandonment stark in her eyes after he had saved her.
"Oh, don't worry. I guess I don't need to help you anymore. You can go straight from here; you'll soon come out of the forest, and many children from the same village as yours are playing there. They will help you reach your home," Sky said, his tone annoyingly calm.
"What, are you stupid?! You've seen me half-naked! That doesn't mean I can go around the forest and to my home wearing only this! At least give me your clothes before you leave! I don't want to lose my dignity entirely! So what if I can't walk or run, I can at least save my dignity from losing it completely in front of others! But what if that monster came again to hunt me…?" She railed, her voice rising in a frantic crescendo as she angrily scolded Sky for his perceived idiocy, then dissolved into emotional self-pity. Sky felt a flicker of annoyance.
"Okay… okay, stop with this. I will help you." Sky conceded, and a faint smile touched Isha's lips.
"So you're going to give me your clothes?" she asked, desperately wanting to cover herself, but more importantly, she didn't want him to leave her alone in the chilling silence of the forest. In his presence, she had felt a fragile sense of safety, but if he abandoned her now, wounded and unable to walk, that hard-won spirit of survival would shatter instantly.
"No… I am not giving you my clothes. Because my family would get suspicious of it. But I can help you reach your home safely, and until you reach there, you can wear my shirt." Sky said, pulling off his outer shirt and tossing it towards her. She stared at it for a moment, then, with trembling hands, pulled it on. It was far too large, hanging down to her thighs, effectively hiding her. A sigh of profound relief escaped her as she finally felt secure.
"You are really going to help me until I reach home safely…?" Isha asked, seeking absolute confirmation. Sky nodded and then, to her alarm, stepped closer, invading her personal space. She instinctively leaned back, her eyes wide with apprehension.
"What are you trying to…" she began, her voice tinged with worry.
"Can you walk by yourself?"
"No."
"Then isn't that simple that I have to carry you?" Sky asked, his logic unassailable. Isha nodded, a dawning comprehension on her face. Without further delay, Sky scooped her into his arms, a classic princess carry. Isha's face bloomed crimson, her hands instinctively wrapping around Sky's neck. She looked at him, a heavy blush painting her cheeks, her voice barely a whisper, trembling with shyness.
"Please… please put me down…" she pleaded, avoiding his gaze.
"Why?"
"Because I don't feel good enough in this position, and I don't want to be seen by anyone with you like this. I'm not wearing anything down there, and if someone saw me like this, my dignity would be destroyed. I don't want that to happen. You probably intend to bring me back to my village like this, but I can't! I will die of shame along the way, so please… leave me. I can't show anyone my face if someone saw me in this condition." Isha's voice broke, tears welling in her eyes, then spilling down her cheeks. She was finally getting help, but at what cost? The thought of being seen in such a state, her vulnerability exposed, was a fate worse than death.
She wouldn't survive at the cost of her dignity. The tears flowed freely, a bitter mix of sadness and frustration. She had help, but couldn't accept it, consumed by shame. She buried her face in his chest, weeping silently. To survive, she would have to abandon her dignity, a price she refused to pay. If he carried her like this all the way to the village, she couldn't bear to imagine how many eyes would witness her humiliation.
"Oh, come on, can you stop your acting? What is more important: your life or your little respect that someone sees you in such a vulnerable state?" Sky's voice was blunt, cutting through her emotional turmoil. Isha looked up at him, her eyes brimming with sorrow, before she cried out.
"You don't understand my problem… you don't! You aren't a girl! I'm happy that you helped me so far, thank you. Now, you can leave me here and go away. I will always owe you my life!" Isha pleaded, her voice choked with pain and despair, begging him to abandon her in the desolate forest.
Seriously, I don't understand. Is she genuinely asking me to leave, or emotionally blackmailing me? Sky thought, then stated calmly.
"You are too emotional anyway. Hold tight. We are going to get a good flight." Sky announced, a strange smile gracing his lips. Be happy, girl, you are the first one who is going to see me using my powers first. His sudden declaration made Isha squeak, her arms subconsciously tightening around him. In the next instant, both of them shot skyward, ascending with insane speed.
"Ahhh... Are we flying?!" Isha screamed, her voice a fragile thread against the rush of wind. The ground, impossibly far below, spun into a dizzying blur, igniting a primal fear of falling. Then, another thought, even more disorienting, pierced through her terror.
"Wait, is this some kind of dream? How the hell are we flying like that? Wait, you—who are you, really?!" Her heart hammered, a frantic bird trapped in her chest. Her hands, clammy with fear, tightened their desperate grip around Sky as they streaked through the air towards her village.
"No, this isn't a dream. Anyway, look down and tell me which one is your home?" Sky's voice was calm, a stark contrast to her escalating panic. But Isha seemed lost in another dimension, her gaze fixed intently on Sky's face, as if trying to piece together a half-forgotten memory.