They were back on solid ground. Outside, voices could be heard. Jhed's entire body was soaked in blood. Silia's clothes were torn.
Jhed looked at her standing to his right. All he could smell was blood. His body felt sticky. Bloodstains were dripping from him onto the floor. Blood had gotten into his ears. He could taste it on his tongue.
"Why are you here?" Jhed asked.
"What do you mean — you told me to stay with you." Silia looked at him. Jhed's eyes went to her torn clothes — he saw something he shouldn't have. He closed his eyes immediately.
"I have to close my eyes looking at a monster. What kind of person am I." he thought.
"Go put some clothes on first." Jhed said.
"Fine — I'll go change." Silia said.
"And — wash up too." Jhed added.
"Hmm." She nodded and left.
Jhed quickly wiped up the bloodstains from the floor. He needed a bath too.
"I should wash up." He headed to the bathroom — to the left of the dining table. He undressed and sat in the tub, forgetting in his rush to warm the water first.
"That's freezing." Goosebumps rose across his skin.
"I didn't realize it was this easy — convincing someone. I've always been good at it. Back in my old world, whenever I wanted something, I'd convince Mom the same way. Mom — I miss you. I wonder how you are. You probably only remember Reena didi now. You've probably forgotten me. I never did anything that would make you proud. Mom — I'm stuck in this world, inside the body of a stranger. And today I made a demon my friend." Jhed talked to himself. Alone, a person starts to know themselves — maybe Jhed was finally hearing what he actually felt.
He climbed out of the tub. Dried off. The bathwater had turned red. He drained it, gathered his blood-soaked clothes, and carried them to his room. Still undressed, he put the old clothes in his bag and pulled out fresh ones.
He put them on. They suited him well — something that looked like a red shirt, though it wasn't quite one, and black fitted pants that resembled night trousers.
He hid his satchel under the bed. Then cleaned his sword with an old cloth until it shone, and slid it back into its sheath.
He came out of the room.
"I have no idea what to tell Daichi. That I made friends with the thief? That he should forgive Silia?" Jhed stood at the door.
He was ready.
"A little scared. But I'm better than yesterday. Let's go." He opened the front door. This time, those same women were outside — the ones whose stares had sent him running back inside before. They looked toward him again. This time, Jhed ignored them and kept walking.
"They're not looking at me. No one's looking at me. It's just in my head." He kept telling himself this, moving quickly.
He was heading to the guild. To find Daichi.
"I'm here too." Silia appeared suddenly in front of him.
"Where did you come from?" He hadn't seen her approach.
"I walked. You just didn't notice." She said.
She was coming to the guild with him. They walked there together.
What will Daichi's reaction be — the man who ordered adventurers to kill Silia on sight? And on the other side of town, Shine and Nain were heading back. The adventurers searching the forest for Silia — what will their reaction be when they see Nain?