The cart's wheels bumped gently over the uneven path, the trees on either side swaying as if half-asleep. Birdsong trickled through the canopy above—soft, airy, innocent.
Enkidu sat beside Rem, eyes forward, but not focused. His posture was relaxed. Still. Too still.
"You've been quiet," Rem said.
"I've been thinking," Enkidu replied, voice low. "About how easy it is to get used to things."
She glanced over. "Used to what?"
"This," he said, nodding toward the road, the wind, the gold-speckled light. "Peace. Routine. How quickly it becomes normal."
Rem smiled faintly. "Isn't that a good thing?"
He didn't answer.
Because he wasn't sure.
The village was lively by the time they arrived. Children dashed through the streets. Vendors hawked produce and dried goods. People waved to Rem and offered hesitant nods to Enkidu—half-respect, half-curiosity.
He didn't mind. He drifted in Rem's shadow, eyes moving slowly across the crowd. Watching. Listening. The tension inside him wasn't fear.
It was something older. Something heavier.
They stopped by the herbalist's shop. Then the baker. Then the blacksmith. Every step was familiar. Every exchange practiced. Nothing out of place.
And yet…
Something was wrong.
"Lady Rem!"
They turned at the sound.
Petra was rushing toward them, flower basket in hand and her smile even bigger than her boots.
"I helped carry water this morning!" she beamed. "And they let me pick the flowers after!"
"You're very reliable," Rem said warmly.
Petra turned to Enkidu, squinting at him. "You're really weird," she declared. "But not in a bad way."
Enkidu raised an eyebrow. "Thank you?"
"Do you live in the forest?"
"No."
"Do you talk to animals?"
"No."
"You look like someone who talks to animals."
He gave her a wry smile. "Do I?"
"You have 'soft eyes,'" Petra said, mimicking air quotes poorly.
Enkidu chuckled. "That's a new one."
She offered him a single flower from her basket—a small violet bloom, already beginning to wilt at the edges.
"It's a thank-you," she said.
"For what?"
"I dunno. You feel like someone who should be thanked."
He blinked. Then took the flower.
"Thanks," he said.
Then she was gone, off like a spark in the wind.
Rem lingered beside him. "You're good with children."
"I don't try to be," he said softly.
They were nearly finished loading the cart when Enkidu felt it: a change in the wind. Like pressure shifting in the bones. He turned.
At the edge of the square, near the well, stood a girl.
Small. Pale. Pink dress. Hood up. A tiny black puppy rested in her arms, nestled quietly against her.
She was watching them.
No. Watching him.
"Who's that?" Rem murmured.
Enkidu stepped forward before she could move.
"I'll handle it."
He crossed the street slowly. Calmly. Like a shadow moving uphill.
The girl stroked the puppy gently with one hand. Her expression was pleasant, blank, harmless.
It wasn't.
"Hiya," she said sweetly. "You from the mansion?"
Enkidu didn't answer. He studied her quietly. Every instinct screamed. Not fear. Not even anger. Just… awareness.
"What's your name?" he asked evenly.
The girl blinked. "That's rude, asking first."
"Then don't answer."
She tilted her head, smile unwavering.
"Is there something you're looking for here?"
"Not really." She adjusted the pup slightly in her arms. "Just watching. Sightseeing. The little ones are cute, don't you think?"
His hands didn't move. His face didn't change. But his voice dropped.
"They're not sights," he said. "They're lives."
Her smile twisted ever so slightly.
"You don't talk like most people," she said.
Enkidu stepped forward. Close enough for her to hear the flatness in his voice.
"I've seen enough cruelty to recognize it early. So I'll say this once."
Her eyes glittered.
"If something happens to these people—if any harm comes to them because of you—"
He didn't raise his voice.
Didn't bare his teeth.
He just looked at her like stone. Not angry. Not afraid.
Just done.
"I'll take it personally."
The girl paused. Then let out a light giggle.
"Ooooh~ you're a quiet one. I like that."
She turned on her heel and skipped off, the puppy still tucked neatly in her arms, tail wagging gently.
Rem appeared beside him. "Who was she?"
"A mistake waiting to happen," Enkidu said.
They rode back in silence.
That night, the mansion breathed quietly under moonlight. But to Enkidu, it felt hollow. Like a stage after the play ended—scenery intact, but purpose gone.
He wandered the halls again. This time not to escape restlessness.
But to feel anything.
Eventually, his steps took him—inevitably—to the forbidden library.
Beatrice didn't look up right away.
"You're late, I suppose."
He said nothing.
She peered at him over the edge of her book. "What is it tonight? Another theory about curses? Or timelines? Or tea that tastes like lies?"
He didn't smile.
"I'm tired," he said.
Beatrice raised an eyebrow.
"Not in the body. Not even in the mind. Just… inside."
She shut her book slowly.
"I don't get shocked anymore," he said. "Not when I see danger. Or cruelty. Or even kindness."
"That's not normal, I suppose." she said bluntly.
"I know."
He rubbed at his face. "I think I've gotten used to everything. The tension. The fear. The quiet that means death. And the peace that never lasts."
Beatrice was silent for a long time.
"So what keeps you moving?" she asked finally.
He looked up.
"I still feel responsible."
"For what?"
"For being here," he said. "For standing still while people bleed. For having power and not using it."
"Even if you're numb?"
He nodded. "Even then."
She studied him. Not with pity. Not with judgment. Just… comprehension.
"You really are strange, I suppose." she said. "You don't want to save people because you love them. You do it because someone should."
"That's enough, isn't it?"
Beatrice slowly set her book down.
"...For now."
They sat together in silence, surrounded by books and flickering candlelight. No revelations. No prophecies. Just quiet understanding.
Outside, the wind picked up.
And deep in the forest beyond the village, something began to stir.
AN: hello guys two thing I wanted to ask. what are some more tags I could add to this fanfic and any ff recommendations?