A few days after their first meeting
The day was bright just like every day. What was even brighter was the little girl, Saria, playing hide-and-seek with Joshua, who went to hide.
"3..2..1.. ready or not here I go!" And happily, she began searching for her friend—the slide, bushes, and park's furniture. No him in sight. Where could he be?
Up from the tree, an amused smile and a giggle could be seen if only Saria just looked up. She would see that Joshua hadn't even gone far from their initial point. Her frustration and annoyance were shown on her facial expression and the little tail that thumbed the ground only made her impression enduring.
Who would have thought that such a girl would one day grow into one of the most badass characters in the Terra, Saria the director of the defense department of Rhine lab.
Knowing her original future, Joshua wished that his present might help her in the future.
Yes, Joshua is a transmigrator.
Being a fan of Arknights, he knows many things about Terra and the threats that it poses. Being about to be reborn in Terra was something he was both graceful and resentful toward the one who sent him here. Why sent him to such a world where
While he was lost in his own thoughts, "Ahh! You are up there!?" the remarked interrupted his train of thought.
His eyes looked toward the saucer, the little seeker Saria pouted at her friend unfair tactics.
"Get down here! You have been caught for using unfairly tactics." Joshua want to argue that the tactic was clearly legit, but pouting face on her clearly show that she wasn't going to listen.
Sighing in resignation, he jumped down from. Only to swiftly ran pass through with villainess laughter and taunting face.
Her mental state had gone to serval stages, from shock to blank. From blank to realization, from realization to anger. "Joshua!! You cheated!!".
So the chase of the life time begins. Passerby only saw two child playing chase wholesomely while for Joshua it was a chase of survival from the wrath of calcium wyvern.
the entire chase last till sunset with Joshua end up being caught by Saria.
"Huff..huff...I...Huff...huff..caught...you"
"Huff.huff..huff.yeah...you..did"
both of them exhausted all their energy from the chase yet they were happy, smiling from their faces were the proof.
Joshua looked at
the revised version
A few days after their first meeting, the weather was perfect—bright, clear, and uncomfortably sunny. But nothing burned quite as intensely as the determination of the little girl scanning the park.
"Three... two... one... Ready or not, here I go!"
Saria spun around, her eyes scanning the playground like a radar. She checked the slide. She checked the bushes. She even checked behind the park bench. Nothing.
"Where is he?" she muttered.
High above, legs dangling from a thick oak branch, Joshua watched her with an amused grin. He hadn't even left their starting point; he had just gone up.
Below him, Saria placed her hands on her hips. Her brow furrowed in annoyance, and her thick tail thumped rhythmically against the grass—thump, thump, thump—betraying her irritation. It was an endearing sight, one that made Joshua stifle a giggle.
To think, Joshua mused, looking down at the pouting child, that this little girl will grow up to be the Iron Wall of Rhine Lab.
Saria, the Director of Defense. The woman who would one day stand immovable against catastrophes.
A wave of complex emotion washed over him. As a transmigrator from Earth, Joshua knew the script. He knew the horrors of Oripathy, the political wars, and the sheer brutality of Terra. Being reborn here was a mixed blessing—grace for a second life, but resentment for the difficulty setting. Why send him to a world where stones could give you cancer and the sky brought disasters?
He looked at his hand, thinking of his strange immunity, lost in the heavy thoughts of the future...
"Aha! You're up there!"
The shout snapped the timeline back to the present. Joshua jolted, looking down to see Saria pointing an accusing finger right at his nose.
"Get down here! Climbing trees is an unfair tactic!" she declared, her cheeks puffed out.
Joshua opened his mouth to argue that verticality was a perfectly legitimate strategy in tactical warfare, but the look on her face told him that logic had no power here. The verdict was guilty.
Sighing in theatrical resignation, he pushed off the branch. "Alright, alright."
He landed with a graceful thud in front of her. Saria crossed her arms, expecting an apology or a surrender.
Instead, Joshua grinned—a wicked, teasing grin.
"You found me," he said. Then, he burst into a villainous laugh. "But you haven't caught me!"
Swoosh.
Before Saria could process the betrayal, Joshua sprinted past her, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Saria blinked. Her expression shifted rapidly—from shock to confusion, and finally, to the realization that she had been played. Her eyes narrowed.
"Joshua! That's cheating!!"
And so, the chase of a lifetime began.
To the passersby, it was just two children playing tag in the golden afternoon light. But for Joshua, it was a survival run. He wasn't running from a little girl; he was running from the nascent wrath of a Calcification Wyvern.
They tore through the park, jumping over benches and weaving through crowds. Joshua was fast, his Sarkaz blood giving him explosive bursts of speed, but Saria was a Vouivre—she was an endurance machine. She didn't slow down. Every time he looked back, she was there, determined and unstoppable.
The chase lasted until the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of purple and orange.
Finally, near the riverbank, Joshua's legs gave out. He collapsed onto the cool grass, chest heaving. A second later, Saria flopped down beside him, tackling him with the last of her energy.
"Huff... huff... I..." She gasped for air, her face flushed red but triumphant. "Caught... you."
Joshua stared up at the darkening sky, his lungs burning but his heart light. He turned his head to look at her.
"Huff... huff... Yeah," he grinned, sweat sticking his hair to his forehead. "You... did."
They lay there in the grass, exhausted and breathless, but the bright smiles on their faces outshined the fading sun.
As their breathing slowed and the adrenaline faded, a comfortable silence settled between them. Joshua propped himself up on his elbows, turning his head to look at Saria.
She was laughing. It was a soft, breathless sound, her eyes crinkled into crescents, her usually stiff posture completely relaxed. Her chest rose and fell, and a strand of white hair stuck to her cheek.
Joshua stared, mesmerizingly.
She's so expressive, he thought, a pang of melancholic irony hitting him. To think this giggling girl becomes the immovable wall of Rhine Lab. The woman who forgets how to smile.
In his memories of the game, Saria was a fortress—stern, unyielding, and buried under layers of regret and duty. But here, she was just a child who loved to run.
Saria noticed his intensity. She blinked, her laughter dying down into a self-conscious fidget. She touched her face nervously.
"What?" she asked, her voice small. "Is there dirt on my face?"
Joshua didn't answer. Instead, he reached out.
His hand, scuffed from the tree climbing, gently took hold of her cheek. He gave it a light, playful pinch. It was soft—remarkably so.
"H-hey!" Saria protested, though the sound came out muffled due to his grip. "Whad are yuu doin?"
"Testing your defense," Joshua teased, his mismatched eyes gleaming with mirth. He didn't let go. "You're a Vouivre, Saria. You're strong enough to snap my wrist like a twig. If you dislike it, why don't you just shake me off?"
Saria froze. Her hands hovered over his wrist, her claws retracting. She could push him away. She should push him away. It was embarrassing.
But... his hand was warm. And the way he looked at her—not with fear of her strength, but with pure affection—made her strength abandon her.
"I..." she stammered, her face turning a shade of pink that rivaled the sunset. She lowered her hands, admitting defeat. "I don't want to hurt you."
"Softie," Joshua chuckled, finally letting go.
Saria rubbed her cheek, pouting, though the corner of her lip twitched upward.
The orange light of the sun began to bleed into the deep purple of twilight. The park lights flickered on with a buzz.
"It's getting late," Saria murmured. Her tail drooped slightly, and the lively energy she had just moments ago evaporated. She looked down at her shoes. "I have to go back."
The sadness was palpable. It radiated off her like heat. Joshua hated it. He hated the idea of her going back to a cold house, or whatever awaited her that made her cherish these fleeting moments so much.
He stood up and dusted off his pants, then offered her a hand.
"Hey," he said, catching her attention. "Don't look like the world is ending."
Saria took his hand, pulling herself up. "But playtime is over."
"For today," Joshua corrected. He leaned in, lowering his voice as if sharing a state secret. "Besides, you need to be ready for next time. I've been working on something in the workshop. A prototype gadget."
Saria's eyes widened, the sadness instantly replaced by curiosity. "A gadget?"
"Top secret," Joshua winked. "But I'll bring it next time. It lights up. You're going to love it."
"Really?" Her tail gave a tentative wag.
"Cross my heart."
The promise worked. The light returned to her eyes. She nodded vigorously, waving at him as she ran toward the park exit. "Okay! See you next time, Joshua! Don't forget!"
"I won't!"
He watched her run until her white hair disappeared around the corner.
Joshua stood alone in the darkening park. The wind picked up, rustling the leaves of the oak tree they had played on. He looked up at the sky of Terra—a sky filled with catastrophes and unknown stars.
"Thank you," he whispered to the void, to whoever or whatever had sent him here.
He clenched his fist, feeling the phantom sensation of Saria's soft cheek against his fingers.
"I won't let her become a statue," he vowed to the silence. "I'll save Silence. I'll save Ifrit. And I'll make sure Saria never loses that smile. I'll change this future, no matter what."
With a heart full of fire and hope, Joshua turned and walked home, his mind already racing with blueprints for the gadget that would make his friend smile.
Two days later, Joshua arrived at the park early.
He sat on the bench, the small, crudely wrapped box in his lap. Inside was a small mechanical bird that flapped its wings using a wind-up gear—his first invention in this world. He tapped his foot impatiently, eager to see her reaction.
Footsteps approached.
Joshua shot up, a grin plastered on his face. "Saria! You won't believe how hard it was to get the gears to—"
The words died in his throat.
Saria was standing there. But she wasn't running. She wasn't smiling. She stood perfectly still, her hands clasped tightly in front of her dress. Her eyes, usually so full of life, were dull and averted, staring at the gravel between them.
"Joshua," she said. Her voice was flat. Hollow.
Joshua took a step forward, the box clutching tight in his hand. "Saria? What's wrong?"
She didn't look up. She took a small step back, putting distance between them.
"I..." Her voice cracked, then hardened, as if she were forcing the words out against her will. "I can't play with you anymore."
Joshua blinked, his smile faltering. "What? Did your mom get mad? We can play somewhere else, or—"
"No," Saria interrupted, finally looking up.
There were no tears in her eyes, only a terrifying, stony resolve that looked far too old for her face. It was the face of the Director.
"We cannot meet again," she stated, cold and final. "Goodbye, Joshua."