The cave was silent except for Arin's ragged breathing as his sobs finally subsided into weak hiccups. The merging of Satoshi's consciousness with Arin's young mind was still incomplete. The adult's logic and memories lingered like a distant fog, unable to fully override the raw, childlike terror and pain coursing through him.
"Hey… I—I am truly sorry. I never intended for this to happen."
Lia's voice trembled, thick with remorse. Before Arin could react, she moved again—not to attack, but to slam her forehead against the cave floor in a deep, formal bow of apology.
The sudden movement sent panic shooting through Arin's body. He flinched hard and scrambled backward on his hands and knees, heart hammering.
No. I can't trust this.
One moment she had been helpless. The next, she had been a blur of motion—fast, precise, overwhelming. She had dismantled him in seconds. He had never imagined a girl could be so strong, so terrifyingly efficient.
His power—his mana, the golden pulse inside him—had been useless against her sheer skill.
She's dangerous.
The thought screamed in his mind, born from the uneasy blend of Satoshi's adult caution and Arin's instinctive fear.
I have to get away.
Slowly, keeping his eyes locked on her, he began edging toward the cave entrance. Every muscle in his small body was coiled tight, ready to flee.
Lia did not move.
She remained bowed, forehead pressed to the dirt, tears soaking into the cave floor. Shame burned through her chest as her mind replayed the events of the previous day.
This boy—this rare, beautiful boy—hadn't just found her.
He had carried her when she could no longer walk. He had healed wounds that should have killed her. He had torn his own clothes to staunch her bleeding. He had shown her a gentleness she had been taught did not exist in males.
And she had repaid him with a chokehold and a knee to the gut.
Her hands clenched.
There was only one path forward now.
She would earn his forgiveness.
And she would protect him with everything she had.
Two Years Ago — Lia's Past
Lia had entered the Grimward Imperial Army Academy with stars in her eyes and a heart full of naïve hope.
Back in her village, boys were rare—kept, guarded, and always older. They watched women with a uniform mixture of fear and quiet resentment, as if every girl was a predator waiting for an excuse to strike.
She had been told it wasn't their fault.
"Everyone wants a boy," the elders said.
"Every non-human race—goblins, orcs, even the elegant elves—covets them. Wars are fought just to keep our men safe. Of course they're afraid. Of course they hate us. It's survival."
Boys were barred from military service. Too weak. Too precious. Too valuable to risk.
That same protection only made them more helpless—and more bitter.
Lia had believed that becoming an Imperial Army officer, clad in rank and honor, might earn her a man's respect instead of his fear.
But the Academy consumed her.
She trained harder than anyone else. She excelled. Her determination left no room for romance or idle dreams. Her superiors noticed—and rewarded her excellence with increasingly dangerous assignments along the monster-infested borders.
There were no boys there.
Only blood. Only battle.
The idealized men in her imagination were slowly replaced by the reality of scowling noble sons she glimpsed from afar—entitled, sheltered, untouched by hardship.
They have everything handed to them, she thought bitterly. And they look at us with nothing but contempt.
Then came the mission that went wrong.
She remembered the mud. The cold. The weight of her own blood soaking into the earth. Her squad lay dead around her, torn apart.
As darkness closed in, her last thought was sharp and cruel:
So this is how I die.
A virgin.
Never knowing a touch that wasn't violent.
That was when a beautiful boy—at least, she thought he was a boy through the haze of delirium—had appeared. Gentle hands. Calm voice. Healing warmth.
He had saved her.
It wasn't the same boy. But the feeling—the salvation—had burned itself into her soul.
She had sworn then:
If I ever meet someone who shows me that kind of kindness again…
I will never let them go.
Present — The Cave
Arin watched the crying, bowing girl from a safe distance.
The adult part of him—Satoshi—screamed caution.
But the child part of him felt it: the sincerity, raw and unmistakable, in her apology.
It was confusing. Disarming.
"It's… it's okay," Arin heard himself whisper. His voice shook despite his effort to steady it.
"Things… things happen."
The words surprised even him.
Impulsively, against better judgment, he decided to stay.
But trust was fragile—a thread stretched thin.
To calm himself, he turned toward the scattered food. Berries. Roots. Something practical. Something normal. He knelt and began carefully gathering what hadn't been crushed.
Lia lifted her head slowly, disbelief flickering across her face.
He hadn't run.
He hadn't screamed.
He was forgiving her.
Carefully, deliberately, she rose and joined him. Every movement was slow, measured, meant to show she posed no threat.
They worked in silence.
As they did, Lia stole glances at him. His small body. His cautious posture. The way his hands trembled just slightly as he sorted the food.
A fierce, unfamiliar instinct bloomed in her chest.
I have to keep him safe.
"Where are you going?" she asked softly.
Arin looked up—for the first time truly seeing her since she'd awakened.
The healing magic had restored more than her wounds. She looked vibrant. Alive. Stunning.
Chestnut hair framed sharp, intelligent eyes. Her body—visible through torn travel clothes—was lithe, strong, and undeniably feminine.
A sudden, unfamiliar heat surged through Arin's chest.
If this were Japan, Satoshi's mind supplied unhelpfully, she'd be a gravure idol. Or dating a CEO.
Arin froze.
Realizing he'd been staring, he snapped his gaze away, face burning.
"I… I don't know where I'm going."
A gentle smile tugged at her lips.
"Then where is your family?"
A war raged inside him.
"I… don't know where they are," he said at last.
It was the truth. Just not the whole truth.
Lia nodded, accepting it without pushing.
"Okay. I won't pry. I'll help you until you're safe. Wherever that is."
She paused.
"There's a town nearby—Silverford. We can stay there for now. What do you say?"
Arin nodded silently.
He finished sorting the food, then held out a small handful of berries to her.
"You should eat too. Your body needs to heal."
Lia blinked.
A polite offer. From a boy.
Her cheeks warmed.
"Thank you."
As they ate together, she asked gently, "Can you use magic?"
"Yes. Healing magic. And… I can change mana's form, I think."
"Mana manipulation and healing?" Her eyes widened. "That's incredible."
She hesitated, then said carefully, "It would be safer if you traveled disguised. A face like yours will attract attention. Can you… change your appearance?"
"I… I don't know how."
"That's okay. Try this. Feel the mana in your core. Guide it to your face. Slowly imagine someone else."
Arin closed his eyes.
The warm pool inside him stirred. He guided it upward, imagining softer features. A tingling sensation washed over his skin.
When he opened his eyes, Lia stared.
"You did it…"
Arin looked into a puddle.
A blonde-haired girl stared back.
The illusion was light, easy to maintain.
Relief flooded him.
Together, they stepped out of the cave—
and began their journey toward Silverford.