A loud, raspy voice dragged me from the void—a man's voice. One I had heard before. One I had hoped never to hear again. Fear gripped me as I pulled away, squeezing my eyes shut.
"Akoni! Akoni! A-KO-NI! Is the boy deaf? Wake him up, woman!"
The man barked at a lady whimpering beside him, her body stiff with terror. She remained unmoving, too afraid to speak. Growing impatient, he snapped again.
"Have you lost your senses too? Wake the damn boy!"
Still, the woman stood in silence, unwilling to obey. Dumbfounded by her defiance, the man let out a heavy sigh before delivering a brutal slap to her face. Dissatisfied, he escalated his assault, striking her again and again. The crashing of houseware stifled her screams.
Just as my nightmare reached its breaking point, another voice pulled me from the chaos.
"Hey, boy! When are you going to get up? I'm starting to grow tired of all this waiting."
I shot up, unable to resist the soothing sweetness of her voice. My breath caught as I recognized it—it belonged to the woman I met after those strange visions the other day. Confusion gripped me. How had I ended up in her company?
The darkness of the room prevented me from seeing her properly. Her silhouette drifted gracefully to my left before she reached out, pulling apart a pair of curtains.
"I had them shut because I wasn't sure when you'd wake up. I suppose you didn't like not being able to see who was talking to you."
As the curtains parted, daylight spilled into the room. Standing by the window, bathed in an eerie glow, was a woman unlike any I had ever seen. Her beauty was almost ethereal—harmonious in its perfection.
Her eyes were a deep, brilliant red, her pupils an unusual, diamond-like shape. Her long, pitch-black hair absorbed the light, starkly contrasting the brightness behind her. She was strikingly tall, towering over me by head and shoulders, yet her form remained elegantly feminine. Her divine beauty made it difficult not to stare— I felt my eyes ogling her body too long and started to feel like a pervert.
"It's not that hard, you know. You could just look away."
What? No way—she couldn't have possibly… No. There was just no way. Still in a daze I must have accidentally said that out loud.
Still I wondered, could this woman read thoughts?
"How did you do that?" I asked.
The lady tilted her head, her expression blank with mild confusion. She seemed to contemplate my question, deep in thought as she paced around. Then, suddenly, she struck a pose as though everything had clicked into place.
Keeping her blank expression, she replied calmly,
"You open your mouth like this—AAAAAAAAAAAA!"
She parted her lips wide, pointing at them proudly.
"You make sounds and move your mouth—people call that talking," she said, a warm smile stretched across her face.
I was stunned. Did she really just explain talking to me? There was no way. I wasn't sure if I was angry, amused, or simply bewildered—maybe all three.
"I know how to talk, madam" I replied dryly, unwilling to let her mock me so easily. Determined to keep my composure, I refused to let her win.
Despite the irritation of being looked down upon, I needed to understand more about the woman who had saved me.
Angering her wouldn't get me answers. I waited, intent on deciphering her motives.
How had I ended up here? Who showed me that vision? Where exactly was I? Who was the conduit that destroyed the town?
Questions flooded my mind, and she might hold the key to all of them.
Just as I reached that realization, she turned her gaze toward me and finally spoke.
"Splendid. You seem to be recovering well—I was almost certain you'd be ill after what happened," she said, her radiant smile nearly melting my heart.
Gratitude swelled within me. No matter what she knew, I would devote myself to repaying her kindness.
She continued speaking, her expression unwavering in its warmth.
"Well, since I see you're fine, I suppose everything is settled, then. If you'll excuse me, it's about time for my nap."
With that, she promptly collapsed to the floor like a stone.
I was in complete and utter shock. Was I dreaming? My mind raced to process the absurdity of the situation.
A grin tugged at my lips as I thought back over everything that had happened so far.
I didn't care about any of it anymore—this woman was going to wake the hell up and give me some answers! I heard her voice before I crashed in the forest, I know she knows. Aaaaaagh! Why Cant I catch a break.
After all I had gone through, no way I can turn back here. Please, wake up!
Fed up with the nonsense, I leaned in to inspect her. She merely shifted slightly, burying herself deeper in sleep.
I stared, baffled.
How could she rest so comfortably with a stranger in her home?
Speaking of her home, the residence itself was strange.
Peering through the window, I was taken aback by how high up I was—the exterior was constructed from rough, aged wood.
The house itself located within the largest tree in the subcanopy.
Leaning further out, I saw roots wrapping around the structure, entwining with it like protective vines. They had strange lines engraved in them, kind of like the parts I saw in a magic workshop long ago. This only baffled me more, what could possibly make such detailed engravings on this ridiculously large tree?
Yet, what fascinated me most wasn't just the size of the tree, or the markings—it was the intricate craftsmanship inside. She had decorated the interior to resemble a grand mansion, complete with bookshelves, desks, and even a queen-sized bed.
No luxury was absent from this ridiculously located dwelling.
I remembered spotting this tree during my travels—it stood out, even among the towering giants of the subcanopy. Its imposing presence had been unmistakable.
Pulling myself back from distractions, I turned my focus toward the woman once more. I needed answers.
After a while it felt strange to keep observing her like this.
Watching her sleep like this was... awkward. Deciding that waiting wasn't the best course of action, I shifted my attention to exploring the house.
If she wasn't interested in answering my questions before she nodded off, perhaps she'd be willing to once she woke.
After some rest, perhaps she would have a change of heart.
First, I needed to find food.
The way she slept so soundly—I wouldn't put it past her to be dead. If I got too hungry, I might just have to eat her—Not that it would ever come to that...hopefully
I had to look for something edible. She must have a pantry somewhere, As bad as it feels to steal from the woman that saved me, I was only getting hungrier by the second.
As I roamed the mansion, an unfamiliar anxiety crept over me. I couldn't stay in any room for long; the feeling only worsened the more I lingered. Rushing from space to space, my unease escalated, and soon, the flashbacks began—the incident I had tried so hard to forget.
Nowhere felt safe.
What was this soul-crushing panic taking hold of me?
I couldn't bear it any longer—it felt as though I were sinking into deep water, my limbs sluggish, my breath coming in uneven gasps. Was this some kind of curse? My body felt trapped, weighed down. I suddenly thought about the engravings I saw outside, where they the reason for this? It really was a curse.
I'm doomed, I never should have left that bedroom.
I was terrified.
I was alone.
Slumping to the floor, I could no longer move. The despair only deepened.
"You shouldn't wander around a woman's house, little one."
I turned, my gaze lifting, and there she was—the woman from before, standing over me, her long figure looming above my curled-up form.
My head buried between my knees, I could do nothing but sob.
She continued to speak, her voice eerily calm.
"The Defense 'Spell' I placed over this house distorts the mind. The more you wander, the worse it gets. Your mind is too fragile to withstand it for long. Had you continued, you would have been overrun by suicidal urges. Making it through the evergreen is incomparable to exposure this close. However, I'm still concerned about something—how did a child like you reach the dining hall before being consumed by those very urges?"
So that's where I was. Looking around, I saw dust-covered chairs encircling an impossibly long dining table. She had been living here—eating here—all alone.
"How truly lonely," I whispered softly.
Maybe it was the spell changing my perception, but for the first time since arriving, I could finally see the sadness lurking behind her expressions.
"Yes. It truly is a dreary place," she murmured, her voice tinged with sadness.
She leaned down and rested her palm on my head. A bright warmth spread from her touch, lifting the oppressive weight from my shoulders. Light radiated from her hand, surrounding me with gentle energy.
Was this magic?
I never thought I'd see such strange magic up close again—not since... him.
Curious, I asked her the simplest of questions.
"Did you use magic to create this place?"
Silence.
She remained still, saying nothing. Anxiety bubbled up in my chest-did she not understand the question?
Freed from that dreadful spell, a terrible realization dawned on me.
In this world, there were only two types of languages—the old tongue and the common tongue.
The lower classes were taught only the common tongue, while nobility guarded the old tongue with strict secrecy. Teaching it to outsiders was punishable by death.
The only reason I could understand her was because my family served nobles, even then none of use servants could speak it to such a degree, we were only taught just enough to tend to our masters.
She spoke the language as her own, no difficulty whatsoever.
I didn't even feel it was out of place, it was barely different from conversing with my masters back during my servant years… Master-Could she be?
A cold sweat ran down my face.
This woman, all alone in one of the most dangerous forests in the continent, was she noble?
Her beauty, her mastery of magic... the possibility wasn't unreasonable.
If she was of noble lineage, then I was almost certainly done for.
Roaming freely in a noble's home, speaking to her so casually... death was certain.
Swallowing my fear, I straightened my posture, correcting my demeanor. Bowing in reverence of her, I spoke.
"Madam, could it be that you are of noble blood? You speak Yoro so well. I apologize for burdening you with common tongue, though I find it truly heartwarming that you would entertain my people's lowly language for so long."
The woman looked puzzled. Tilting her head slightly, she raised an eyebrow, her expression one of sheer confusion.
"Ah, I see what you mean—our conversation in the bedroom. Truthfully, I don't understand a word you're saying right now. Think of it as mind reading… or guesswork," she replied cheerfully.
Mind reading? Guesswork?
A deep unease settled in my gut. What if she wasn't a noble at all, but just some delusional woman? There was no way a noble would be in Igudu, casually speaking to me without guards or servants around.
What if she was some crazed cannibal plotting to eat me?
I had to escape this place.
Not a single word she said made sense—and now she was claiming she could read minds? Even if she was skilled in magic, such a thing should be impossible.
"I see, maybe it's about time I left. I don't think it's wise to linger in someone else's home for too long," I said, trying to keep the panic from creeping into my voice.
"You shouldn't be scared. I haven't eaten a person in quite some time," she replied playfully.
Quite some time?
Should that even be happening at all?!
No. She was most definitely insane.
Without wasting another second, I bolted for the door.
Just as I reached it, her voice rang out, heavy and commanding.
"Halt!"
The word echoed throughout the spacious dining hall, and shook me to my very core.
In an instant, my body failed me. Strength drained from my limbs, and I collapsed to the floor.
I couldn't move.
Another spell? How many did she have?
None of it mattered. I had to escape.
This woman was too dangerous.
She stepped closer, her words spoken in a sorrowful tone—soft, yet unwavering.
"After so long, I finally have someone to talk to… and you decide to run away? I can't allow it. Besides, there's no telling how many humans you could bring back with you if I let you go. If you truly wish to leave, the only way is as a corpse."
Oh, shit.
I had messed up. Badly.
She was furious.
What do I do? What do I do?! Think, damn it!
"Wait! You can't kill me yet!" I yelled in sheer panic.
Sweat poured down my body as fear consumed me.
Her gaze darkened, her voice sharp and unforgiving.
"And why is that?" she asked coldly, pausing only for a moment before continuing,
"You have trampled all over my good will. Do you not remember how I saved you? Do you not feel even the slightest urge to thank me for my kindness anymore?"
I had to think fast. No mistakes.
One wrong move, and I was dead.
After a brief moment of desperate contemplation, the answer came to me—the only way to calm her hostility.