The world outside the cave was quiet again. Too quiet.
Only the whisper of the wind and the faint crackle of dying embers filled the air.
Evan had fallen asleep sitting against the wall, his head drooping forward, hands still clutching the edge of the cloak that covered the fallen black panther orc. His sleep was shallow, restless — haunted by flashes of claws, roaring beasts, and golden eyes staring through the dark.
A sound pulled him from the dream.
Low. Rough. A groan.
His eyes snapped open.
At first, he thought he imagined it. The cave looked exactly as before — dim, still, cold. But then the sound came again, louder this time. A ragged breath, a strangled exhale.
Evan scrambled to his knees. "Hey—"
His voice came out hoarse. He crawled closer, heart hammering.
The man beneath the cloak was trembling. Sweat rolled down his neck despite the chill in the air, and his chest rose and fell in uneven, shallow motions.
Evan reached out and touched his forehead — and nearly yanked his hand back.
He was burning.
"System," he whispered urgently. "He's burning up—he's going to die!"
A faint light flickered near his shoulder.
[Scanning vital signs…]
[Severe blood loss. Internal injuries detected. Body temperature critical: 42.1°C.]
[Immediate treatment required.]
Evan's throat went dry. "What do I do?"
[Boil clean water. Wash the wounds. Apply herbs with antibacterial properties.]
[If available, use a Recovery Pill.]
Evan's hands clenched. I do have one… He had stored the two pills when the System upgraded. But those were precious, rare — things he didn't even understand completely.
He looked at the unconscious man again. His face was pale beneath the fever's flush, his body trembling even in sleep.
"If not for him…" Evan whispered. "I'd be dead."
He exhaled sharply, made up his mind. "I'm not letting him die here."
---
He worked fast, the System's faint glow guiding him.
There was a half-crushed pot in one corner, likely something the rogues used before. He cleaned it as best he could, filled it with a handful of melting snow he'd gathered from near the cave entrance, and set it over the fire pit.
Sparks rose, licking the dark as flames flickered weakly to life.
Evan's hands shook as he poured water over a rag torn from his own clothes. He cleaned the blood and dirt from the panther's wounds — slow, careful strokes, wincing each time the man twitched. Some gashes were shallow, but one on his side looked deep, the skin torn and crusted with blackened blood.
It wasn't just the injury — it was the scent. The faint rot of poison or infection.
He bit his lip hard, trying not to panic. "I can fix this… I can."
He reached for his small space for herd storage— the one that still held the herbs they had collected before winter. From it, he pulled a few green, aromatic leaves and some dried roots.
[Identified: Cleansing fern, frostroot, and mistvine.]
[Recommended mixture: Grind and boil together. Apply paste to open wounds.]
Evan nodded, setting to work. He crushed the herbs with a stone until their oils released a faint, sharp fragrance that filled the air. Then, with trembling fingers, he spread the warm paste over the worst wounds, wrapping them with torn strips of hide.
The man groaned again, body tensing under his touch.
"Shh…" Evan whispered softly, pressing his hand to the panther's shoulder. "It's okay. You're safe. No one's going to hurt you."
For a moment, the man's brow furrowed, as if he could hear him even in his fevered sleep. Then his breathing steadied — still ragged, but slower.
Evan let out a shaky sigh, sitting back on his heels.
[Procedure incomplete.]
[Recovery Pill can accelerate healing.]
Evan reached into his system storage, and a small, translucent sphere materialized in his palm — faintly glowing, almost alive.
He stared at it for a long time, the light reflecting in his tired eyes.
"…System."
[Yes?]
"Why are you asking me this?" His voice was barely a whisper. "Why ask why I'm saving him? You should already know."
[Protocol inquiry: Risk-to-reward ratio negative. This entity may present danger.]
[I don't want to see you in any type of danger again host]
Evan's lips trembled into a faint, bitter smile. "Danger?" He looked down at the man again. "He's the reason I'm still breathing."
Silence. Then the System replied, softer:
[…Acknowledged.]
Evan placed the glowing pill gently between the man's lips, tipping his head just enough to swallow. The light dimmed, dissolving into his body like mist.
Almost instantly, the trembling eased. The shallow gasps became deeper, steadier. The angry red around his wounds faded a little, the bleeding slowed.
Evan exhaled, shoulders slumping. "That's better…"
---
Hours passed.
The fire burned low, its glow painting the cave in soft amber hues.
Evan stayed awake through it all — cleaning, rewrapping, checking his breathing again and again. His hands were raw, his eyes stung from exhaustion, but he didn't dare stop.
Sometimes the man would mutter something — words too faint to understand. Evan leaned closer, catching fragments of syllables that sounded like names or warnings. Once, he even whispered something that made Evan freeze:
"…don't…let them touch you…"
Evan sat there for a long moment, staring at the fevered face. Then he whispered, "You're just like him… protecting others, even when you're broken yourself."
The System's glow dimmed beside him, silent now — almost as if giving him peace.
By the time the sky outside began to pale, the panther's fever had broken. His body no longer trembled, and his breathing was steady. A faint color returned to his face.
Evan smiled faintly, brushing a damp strand of hair from his own forehead. "You made it."
He added the last bit of wood to the fire, warmth slowly filling the cave. Then he slumped against the wall beside the panther, exhaustion finally catching up to him.
He closed his eyes, murmuring, "You saved me first… now we're even."
The world faded to quiet.
---
A faint rustle stirred him from half-sleep.
Evan blinked groggily. The fire was down to glowing embers. Outside, the forest was still dark, the faintest blush of dawn peeking through the clouds.
Another sound — soft but distinct — drifted in from beyond the clearing.
A low vibration in the ground, like something large moving through the snow.
Evan stiffened. His instincts screamed a warning even before the System's voice whispered through his mind.
[High-tier energy signature detected.]
[Identity: …Recognized.]
His breath hitched.
That energy — wild, cold, and familiar — pressed against his senses like a tide.
Silas.
He knew it instantly. The power, the presence — that aura that once wrapped around him like both shield and storm.
Evan's eyes widened. His heart leapt to his throat.
He scrambled to his feet, nearly stumbling over the cloak, and turned toward the cave entrance where pale light began to touch the snow.
"Silas…" he breathed, the word trembling like prayer.
He didn't know whether to cry, to run, or to hide the unconscious panther behind him.
But he knew one thing — the storm that had begun outside this cave wasn't over yet.
.....