I slowly woke up, a strange softness pressing against me. For a moment, I wasn't sure where I was, until the warmth beneath me made my heart skip a beat.
Opening my eyes, I froze. I was lying across someone's lap.
"Wha—"
I scrambled upright, only to slam my forehead against the girl in front of me. Stars exploded in my vision.
"You don't need to react like that. I'm not a Hollow," she said, her voice carrying a teasing lilt, though edged with mild annoyance.
"Wha—"
I couldn't speak.
My mind was a blank canvas of confusion.
"Where are we?" I finally asked, my voice small, almost a whisper.
The girl tilted her head, pretending to think, her lips curling into a sly grin.
"Riverside—outside the Kingdom of Khatar," she said, as if the answer were obvious.
I frowned, trying to place the name. "The Kingdom of Khatar? West? East? South—where exactly?"
She giggled, a light, airy sound that made me feel slightly embarrassed for asking.
"Far northeast, beyond the Mountain of Eve."
I blinked and stared at her, realization dawning like a cold splash of water.
"Beyond the Mountain of Eve… I'm completely lost," I admitted, my stomach twisting.
"What?" she asked, raising an eyebrow in mild curiosity.
"Nothing, nothing…" I muttered, quickly looking away and
forcing a laugh.
"So… what's your name, anyway?"
She smiled, straightening to her full height, radiating confidence.
"I'm glad you asked—Kiara. That's my name."
"I'm… Jean. Nice to meet you, I guess," I said timidly, my voice small, unsure of myself.
She studied me for a moment, then tilted her head again.
"So… how old are you? You don't look like you're from around here," she asked, eyes flicking over my simple, worn clothes.
"Me? Oh… I'm already thirteen… and I'm from the Mountain of Eve," I mumbled, cheeks warming, staring at the ground to hide my embarrassment.
Her grin widened, teasing but not cruel, as if she enjoyed my flustered state. "Thirteen, huh? Interesting…"
I swallowed, wishing the ground would open and swallow me whole. Somehow, meeting her felt like stepping into a story I wasn't ready for—but couldn't turn away from.
"So… what are you doing here?" she asked, curiosity sparkling in her eyes.
I hesitated, my voice barely above a whisper.
"I… I was swept away by the river… me and my sister—we were trying to escape the Hollow-Hounds."
The words hung in the air, heavy and trembling, like fragile glass about to shatter. I stared down at my hands, feeling the weight of everything I'd been through.
"But I don't see anyone else… where's your sister?" Kiara asked, brow furrowed as she scanned the area.
"I… I don't know," I admitted, unsure, my voice small.
Kiara's eyes softened slightly, though her playful glint never left her gaze. "Hm… alright. Then I guess it's just you and me for now," She said, her tone light but observant.
I nodded slowly, still uneasy, but grateful for her presence.
I hesitated, glancing at her cautiously.
"Question… are you… associated with a Shadow Figure?"
Her eyes widened, genuinely puzzled.
"Shadow Figure? Nope… I've never heard of that before,"
she said innocently, then after a pause, added
"Come on, I'll take you to our home village. Let's get those clothes dried."
Before I could speak another word, a firm hand grabbed mine—and I was being pulled forward.
I stumbled, heart leaping into my throat.
"Hey! Wait—!"
Kiara didn't slow down, tugging me along with that same confident grin.
"No time to dawdle! Let's go!"
The path through the village ended at a massive wooden house, its walls towering higher than the other buildings, decorated with intricate carvings that told stories I didn't understand.
Smoke curled lazily from a stone chimney, and the scent of cooking meat and herbs drifted through the air.
Kiara pushed open the heavy wooden door and stepped inside, motioning for me to follow.
The interior was warm and bustling with activity—woven rugs covered the floor, and shelves held neatly arranged tools, bowls, and jars of dried herbs.
She clapped her hands together and shouted
"Father! I'm home! I brought a friend!"
A deep, authoritative voice called back
"Who is it, Kiara?"
Kiara spun toward me with a grin.
"This is Jean! He… uh… just got swept by the river and ended up here."
I quickly looked away after shaking my head, water dripping onto the floor from my soaked clothes.
"I'm Jean… I'm from the Mountain of Eve,"
I murmured, voice small.
Tharen's footsteps echoed as he approached.
"The Mountain of Eve, huh? I'm Tharen, chief of this village. Welcome, Jean."
Kiara nudged me.
"See? He's nice. That's my father. He runs the village."
Tharen's eyes softened, a faint smile forming.
"Well, if Kiara brought you here, you must be in trouble? Come, Jean. Let's get you settled and out of those wet clothes."
Tharen clapped his large hands once, echoing through the room.
"Please," he said, "take care of our guest."
Almost immediately, a tall, sturdy man appeared, his eyes calm and watchful.
"Yes, Chief Tharen," he said respectfully, bowing slightly.
"I am Loras. I will make sure you're comfortable, Sir."
"Uh… thank you…"
I muttered, still dripping wet.
Kiara grinned. "See? You're in good hands."
Loras guided me toward the spring outside as Kiara waved at me.
The cold water stung at first, but it helped wash away the exhaustion and terror from the river.
After a moment of silence, his calm voice broke through.
"You said you came from the Mountain of Eve… how is it that you ended up here?"
I froze mid-scrub. My throat tightened. Finally, I whispered
"I… I was escaping… the Hollow-Hounds. My sister and I… we got caught in the river while running."
Loras nodded slowly.
"I see, Sir. That must have been terrifying."
My voice grew almost silent.
"Our… whole village… has been slaughtered by the Hollow-Hounds," I admitted, staring into the spring water, each word heavy in my chest.
Loras remained quiet for a long moment, then spoke with measured respect.
"I… see, Sir. That is a terrible tragedy. You have endured much."
Later that night, I sat across from Chief Tharen at a long wooden table. Before me lay countless dishes, steaming and arranged as if the village were celebrating an event.
"How did I end up here…" I muttered to myself, glancing around at the feast.
"I told them this wasn't necessary… but they didn't listen," I sighed, leaning back slightly, still dripping from the river and the spring.
Kiara sat beside me, grinning proudly, while Tharen watched calmly, a faint amusement in his eyes.
Despite my protests, the warmth and care in the room were overwhelming, and for the first time in days, I felt…
– Safe.