The morning of the fourth day was passing.
Ryu stood at the edge of the cliff, gazing in the direction of the forest, then finally moved his feet. Toward the forest.
He told himself he was only going to check. That he would feel relieved once he confirmed Ayoung wasn't coming anymore. Ryu decided to believe that lie.
The mist was thick. As he crossed the border of the Forbidden Forest, the air changed. Instead of Reaper Village's cold, dry wind, a damp, living scent brushed against the tip of his nose.
When he reached the old tree, Ayoung was there.
She was dozing while sitting against a branch. A small golden goblinfire flickered on her lap, wavering as if it might go out at any moment. It meant she'd come every day for four days.
Ryu's feet stopped. He should have turned back. But Ayoung's head slowly tilted, and she began to slip from the branch. Ryu took one step closer. That single step landed on a dry branch.
Rustle.
Ayoung's eyes opened. Her newly awakened gaze searched for Ryu. She wasn't surprised. She smiled as though she'd been waiting for him.
"You came."
Ryu didn't answer. He knew he should turn around. But his feet wouldn't move.
Ayoung stood and brushed the grass from her clothes. "You didn't come for four whole days. I thought you might've gotten hurt." "...I wasn't hurt." "Then why didn't you come?" Ryu couldn't answer.
Ayoung didn't ask again. Instead, she took a step closer.
At that moment, a blue pattern flashed beneath Ayoung's feet.
Ryu's face hardened. It was a capture array. A trap Reaper Village had planted in the Forbidden Forest—a snare that activated when it detected goblin energy.
Sharp blue chains burst through the ground. They shot toward Ayoung's ankles and waist.
Ryu moved first. His body was faster than his thoughts. He wrapped an arm around Ayoung's waist and rolled them out of the capture array. One of the blue chains cut deeply across Ryu's arm as it passed. Dark red blood soaked his black sleeve.
Ryu rose with Ayoung still in his arms. "Are you hurt?" It wasn't his usual voice. It was raw concern, stripped of its coldness.
Ayoung blinked from within Ryu's arms. Their faces were close enough for their breath to touch. "I'm fine." Ayoung's gaze shifted to Ryu's blood-soaked arm. "But you're hurt, Ryu."
Only then did Ryu realize he was holding Ayoung. He hurriedly released her and stepped back. "This isn't even an injury." "You're bleeding that much, and you call it nothing?" "Reapers don't die easily." "If you don't die, does that mean it doesn't hurt?"
Ryu couldn't answer.
Ayoung took hold of Ryu's uninjured hand. "Come with me." "Let go." "We'll treat you first." "It's unnecessary." "You got hurt because of me."
Ayoung didn't let go. "So this time, listen to me."
Ryu could have shaken her hand off easily. But he didn't.
She sat Ryu down on a flat rock beside a small stream. Ayoung searched the area for medicinal herbs, crushed them, then carefully rolled up Ryu's torn sleeve. The wound was deeper than he'd expected.
"Hold still." "I can do it myself." "How, with that hand?"
Ayoung washed the wound with clear water. Ryu's arm tensed faintly. "Does it hurt?" "No." "Another lie." "I'm telling the truth." "Then why are you tensing your shoulder?"
Ryu closed his mouth.
Suppressing a laugh, Ayoung placed the herbs over the wound. A small golden goblinfire bloomed at her fingertips. The flame didn't burn his flesh. Warmth seeped into the wound and stopped the bleeding.
The reaper's cold aura met the goblin's flame. The two lights didn't repel each other. For a moment, they merged.
Ryu watched the sight in silence.
"That's strange." Ayoung murmured. "What is?" "The elders said that when reaper aura and goblinfire touched, they'd hurt each other." She gazed at the gentle light spreading across the wound. "But right now, it seems like they're helping each other."
Ryu's eyes darkened. He remembered the Elder Reaper's order. 'Kill her with your own hands.' With those same hands, he'd just saved this girl.
Ryu tried to pull back the arm being treated. Ayoung immediately caught it. "I'm not done yet." "Don't come any closer." "That again?" "It's for your sake."
Ayoung's hand stopped. Ryu spoke without meeting her eyes. "You'll be in danger if you stay with me." "Are you going to put me in danger?" "...No." "Then that's all that matters."
Ayoung tightly tied the cloth holding the herbs in place. Ryu couldn't pull his arm away while she wrapped it.
"Aren't you afraid?" "It'd be a lie to say I'm not scared." Ayoung looked up at Ryu. "But I don't want to leave you hurting alone just because I'm scared."
Ryu's blue eyes wavered.
Ayoung finished treating him and let go. The warmth lingering in his palm faded. Without realizing it, Ryu clenched his fingers.
As if he wanted to hold on to that warmth.