They sat in silence in front of the house, the air thick with worry over Lixs's condition. Zaresha couldn't stop staring at her friend's face, anxiety clouding her eyes. Those wounds… she had never seen Lixs in such a horrific state.
Silence hung between them, only the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves accompanying the atmosphere.
Zuxsin finally spoke. His voice was soft, yet sharp and cold.
"Where do you think… those wounds came from?" he said, his gaze still vacant, piercing through his thoughts.
He strained to remember. Back in Vurce, the last time they had been together, Lixs hadn't had a single scratch—no bruises, no burns.
But now, lying inside the house was the same figure—but covered in horrific burns.
However, Arshal himself didn't know the cause of the wounds.
All he knew was that he found Lixs unconscious at the Numero gate that day. His body was already in terrible condition, burn wounds covering his skin.
Without a second thought, he lifted the unfamiliar yet strangely familiar body and brought him home to be treated. Since then, he had been tending to the wounds as best he could.
Finally, after a long sigh, Arshal answered.
"When I found him, he was already in that condition. I just… did what I could to treat him. If you want answers, why not ask him yourself?" he said, his voice calm yet weary. He stood up, then brushed dust off his pants.
"I'll be out for a bit."
Zuxsin fell silent. That answer struck him—why hadn't he thought of asking Lixs directly all this time?
"I'm such an idiot…" he muttered, tapping his forehead with frustration. He rose from his seat and walked towards the bedroom.
As he opened the door, his steps faltered.
Zaresha was asleep beside the bed, her arm around Lixs, her face serene, as if trying to protect him even in her dreams.
Zuxsin only smiled faintly. He gently closed the door again, unwilling to disturb them. That night, he chose to sit outside, letting the night air calm his mind.
The sun had set. The night sky hung serenely. The stars peeked shyly from behind thin clouds.
Inside the room, Lixs slowly opened his eyes.
His head was heavy. His body felt stiff. But the most surprising thing was the warmth wrapped around his arm—Zaresha's hand.
He turned his head slowly. His heart beat faster.
His body trembled slightly, unsure what to do. He wanted to wake her, but hesitated. Seeing Zaresha's peaceful sleeping face made him hesitant to disturb her.
But finally, he swallowed his hesitation.
"Zaresha, wake up," he whispered softly, almost like the wind.
Zaresha blinked. Slowly, she opened her eyes and frowned, still trying to figure out where she was.
"Why... are you holding my hand?" Lixs asked, his hoarse voice barely above a whisper, his gaze flickering away in embarrassment.
Zaresha didn't answer. She only nodded slightly, her face flushed crimson.
They looked away from each other, each with an uncontrolled heartbeat, unable to meet each other's eyes.
After that, Zaresha got up and stepped out of the room. Shame made her tongue-tied, not knowing what to say. She wanted to get away for a while.
As she walked towards the front door, she saw Zuxsin asleep in a chair in an uncomfortable position.
Zaresha was about to wake him, but changed her mind. She paused to look at him for a moment, then stepped outside, craving fresh air and a moment of peace in the city's restless hum.
Her steps followed the small streets. The night in this city was never truly silent. Lights shone, people came and went, and the sounds of life echoed along the streets.
She wanted to see something new, something to distract her. In the distance, a crowd had formed around an ancient temple, their murmurs rising like the hum of bees.
Curiosity arose. She wanted to approach. But her steps stopped when she heard a voice calling her from behind.
"What are you doing here?"
Zaresha turned. The voice was familiar. Arshal stood there, his face slightly weary, yet calm.
"You too? What are you doing here?" she asked, startled, her finger pointing at him without thinking.
Arshal just smiled faintly.
"Nothing much. But you'd better go home. You might get lost," he said, turning around and walking away.
Zaresha looked at his receding back, surprised by his attitude. But she nodded slightly and accepted the suggestion. She turned around, returning home before getting lost.
She didn't want to bother anyone anymore. Especially not when everything was already chaotic enough.
Upon arriving home, she was surprised to find them both talking to each other. With that, she quickly stepped forward to eavesdrop on their conversation.
They had both actually seen Zaresha's curious movements. But they let her be.
Suddenly, Arshal stood in the doorway. Surprised and unaware of his arrival.
"Since when have you been here?" they both exclaimed in surprise.
"Since a while ago," he entered the house with a smile.
With that, they both went inside the house, preparing to sleep to restore their bodies to full fitness.
One bed was occupied by three people: Lixs in the middle, Zuxsin next to the wall, and Zaresha in the far corner, lying down while keeping her distance.
"Why am I in the middle?" Lixs complained, unable to move freely.
"Ugh… Why do I have to be in the middle?" Lixs grumbled, struggling to find space.
Zuxsin knew what was on Lixs's mind. So he let it be and went to sleep.
…
The sun had risen.
Sunlight pierced through the curtains, dancing in the silent air, then falling on Lixs's face.
Instantly, the room that had been gloomy the night before was now awake—warm and alive.
The gleam of light woke them all from their sound sleep.
Lixs got out of bed, went to the bathroom to wash his face to look brighter.
"Huh, a little sting. But it's refreshing too," he washed his face, enduring the pain of his wounded hand.
After washing his face, he went outside for some fresh air and to loosen his stiff body.
Zuxsin followed him, walking behind him.
"Oh, you're awake too?" He was surprised to see Arshal sitting cross-legged, sipping a cup of coffee.
"Of course, I've been waiting for you all. Actually, there's something I want to talk about," he said, taking a sip of hot coffee.
He looked at Lixs, who was exercising to loosen his stiff body.
A call came. Lixs, hearing it, turned around abruptly.
"Yes… What is it?" he shouted from a distance.
"Come here for a second… There's something I want to talk about," he replied, shouting back.
With that, Lixs slowly walked over. Once he arrived, he sat beside him, while Zuxsin stood to his right.
"What do you want to talk about?"
He immediately answered Lixs's question.
"The attack you suffered—it wasn't caused by a human. It was the work of a Djinn… one that wants to destroy everything." he said, holding the worn book he received from Zuxsin.
Hearing that, both their eyes widened. Shocked and surprised to learn that the strange attack came not from a human but a Djinn.