The shed became their refuge.
Dusty, cramped, and smelling faintly of mold — but hidden. Safe. And for now, the only place where Lyn wouldn't be found.
Rafe sat against a wooden crate, listening to the muffled sounds of the caretakers shouting outside. They were searching rooms, hallways, even the backyard. But none of them bothered to check the old garden.
Nobody ever did.
Mara knelt beside Lyn, wiping her forehead with a torn piece of cloth they found in the shed.
"She's burning up," Mara murmured.
"Awakening fever," Rafe said. "Her body's adjusting."
Lyn shifted weakly, opening her eyes just enough to focus on them.
"…I really… don't know you," she whispered, voice cracking. "Why are you helping me…?"
Rafe didn't look away.
"Because you needed it."
Mara added softly, "And because it was the right thing to do."
Lyn swallowed, emotion trembling in her voice.
"They were going to take me… I didn't even understand what was happening… One moment I—I felt something warm inside me, like light… and then I heard them say I was 'valuable'…"
Rafe's jaw clenched.
Scouts would do anything to secure a young mana awakener.Lyn wasn't just rare—she was priceless.
"Lyn," Rafe said gently, "you said you awakened your mana. Can you tell me how?"
She tried to sit up, but Mara stopped her.
"Don't move."
Lyn nodded weakly.
"I was in the forest near my house. I wasn't supposed to go that far, but I liked the quiet. Then I heard… something. A roar. It felt like the air tore open."
Rafe exchanged a sharp glance with Mara.
A rift.
Lyn continued:
"I panicked and I—I don't know… something in me broke open. Like… light exploded under my skin. When I opened my eyes, everything was in slow motion. I ran, and the men—scouts—were right there. They said I was rare, that I needed to be taken immediately…"Her voice trembled."So I ran. Until I found the fence. And then I… I fell."
Mara placed a steadying hand on her shoulder.
"You're safe now."
Lyn looked between them.
"You two… you're strange. Like me?"
Rafe laughed softly.
"Trust me, we're strangers in very different ways."
Mara elbowed him lightly. "Be nice."
He smirked.
Lyn blinked slowly. "Are you two… friends?"
Mara opened her mouth, hesitated, then nodded.
"Yes."
Rafe raised an eyebrow, amused by the certainty in her voice.
Lyn closed her eyes briefly, letting out a slow breath.
"Then… thank you. Both of you."
The shed fell into a quiet calm — until a sudden shadow passed over the window.
Mara tensed instantly.
"Someone's outside."
Rafe's Instinct flared like a spark in dry wood.
Footsteps.Soft.Controlled.Not a caretaker.
Rafe moved silently to the crack in the door and peeked outside.
A tall figure stood near the bushes.
Not Elias.Not a caretaker.
Someone else.
Someone wearing a long dark coat.A hood low over the face.And boots that didn't match orphanage staff.
Rafe felt his chest tighten.
A scout.
He whispered urgently:
"Mara. Quiet. Lyn stays down."
Mara nodded immediately, placing a protective hand over Lyn's shoulder.
The figure stepped closer to the shed, head tilting as if sensing something.
Rafe's breath slowed.
He pushed the door open just a sliver wider.
The man crouched, examining the earth near the shed — footprints.Fresh ones.
Rafe's.
The man rose, and for a moment, Rafe thought he'd open the door.
But then—
The System chimed.
DING.Warning: Host detected by trained hunter.Hidden Quest Triggered — "Shield the Awakener."Protect Lyn for 48 hours.Reward: +1 AgilityFailure: Lyn captured. Timeline altered severely.
Rafe's pulse pounded.
This wasn't a simple test.This was the beginning of something bigger.
The scout took a step toward the shed…
Then another…
Rafe's mind raced.
He could fight.But he was too weak.He could run.But Lyn couldn't move.He could bluff.But scouts weren't easily fooled.
He needed to distract him.
Now.
He turned to Mara and whispered:
"Follow my lead. And when I say run, you run. Take Lyn through the back."
Mara's eyes widened, fear creeping in — but she nodded firmly.
Rafe stepped out of the shed.
The scout turned instantly, eyes sharp.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
Rafe shrugged lightly.
"Looking for a quiet place. Kids are loud."
The scout studied him.
"Alone?"
"Do I look like someone with friends?" Rafe asked dryly.
Mara almost snorted inside the shed.
The scout took another step toward him.
Rafe's instinct screamed.
Run.
Lie.
Attack.
He chose something else entirely.
He smiled.
"You're looking for someone, right?"
The scout stiffened slightly.
"Why do you say that?"
"Because you're watching the ground," Rafe said. "Like you're following tracks."
The scout narrowed his eyes.
Rafe added, "If you describe who you're looking for… I might have seen them."
The man leaned closer.
"Have you?"
Rafe let silence hang for a moment, then said:
"…Maybe."
The scout's eyes sharpened.
Rafe's heart pounded.
If he kept the man talking long enough, Mara could escape with Lyn.
The scout stepped right up to him.
"Tell me what you know."
Rafe lifted his chin.
"I will… if you answer something first."
The scout blinked.
"You're negotiating? With me?"
Rafe's smile grew.
"I'm curious."
"…About?"
"What someone like you wants with an injured girl."
The scout's expression darkened.
He grabbed Rafe's shoulder roughly, pulling him closer.
"You're a brave little idiot," the man growled. "Stay out of what doesn't concern you."
Rafe didn't flinch.
Because behind the shed, he heard it—
Mara's footsteps, soft and fast…
Taking Lyn away.
He'd bought them time.
Rafe looked the scout straight in the eyes.
"Too late."
The scout froze.
"What?"
Rafe stepped back.
"I said… too late."
The man whipped his head toward the shed.
Empty.
Gone.
A snarl ripped from the scout's throat.
"You—!"
Rafe turned and ran.
Not toward safety.
But away from Mara and Lyn.
Leading the scout in the opposite direction.
His legs burned, his breath tore painfully through his chest — but he didn't stop.
Because Rafe wasn't the kind of extra who died quietly.
Not anymore.
Not ever again.