Meanwhile, at the far end of a different continent, Lazim—a middle-aged man—was busy gathering firewood. The hunched old man looked utterly exhausted. Sweat dripped down, soaking his forehead and the ragged clothes he wore.
"Subi! Come here!" A Harder dog approached him. The thick-furred animal, black with a hint of orange on its ears, licked Lazim's hand.
The man, whose hair had almost entirely turned white, laughed. Subi's loyalty was only natural. He had cared for the dog since it was a puppy, for nine years. He had deliberately raised Subi to be his companion.
The reason was that living alone felt like being held captive by hunters. So ever since Subi came into his life, everything had felt more colorful than before.
"Subi, this is for you," Lazim said. He gave his pet the leftover venison he had hunted the previous night.
"If only that incident hadn't taken my lover's life. I would've been living a happier life today.
"Hah, you bastard! Why do I have to remember that dark time again, Subi? Can you cheer up your master, Subianto? Hey!"
While enjoying the silence with his dog, Lazim heard the sounds of birds nearby. At the edge of the forest, he saw a flock of birds flying together.
It seemed another massacre was taking place.
Lazim let out a harsh breath. He truly hated evil. Just as he hated lies. Lazim despised the scene before his eyes.
Watching Subi enjoy the leftover venison, he chose to remain silent for a moment, even though every thought in his head urged him to leave immediately.
In the middle of the forest, with a body no longer as fit as it had been in his younger days, Lazim was still every bit the gallant patriot. His hunched back only made things more difficult.
Walking was hard, and at his age, he tired easily.
"Finish eating first, Subi. After that, let's continue making our way through this wilderness."
A man emerged from the bushes. It was Jerome, and he was wounded in the abdomen.
Elys, who had been curious all this time, finally felt relieved. At least the person she saw wasn't an enemy.
"Jerome? You're hurt. Let me help you."
The woman then supported Jerome's body. She could feel his muscular frame. Whether she wanted to or not, Elys had to touch him. Otherwise, her friend would only suffer more.
Their eyes met. Elys tried to look away, while Jerome wasn't embarrassed at all. Instead, he kept his eyes fixed on her.
"Argh!"
"I'm sorry," Elys said.
"Did you press on the wound in my stomach on purpose?"
"No."
"Then?"
Elys fell silent for a moment before stepping on Jerome's foot. "Want me to make your foot hurt too?"
"Don't!"
"You should've lowered those eyes of yours," Elys scolded.
Awkwardly, Jerome finally realized that Elys had caught him staring at her with lustful eyes.
Afterward, the woman searched for leaves that could treat the wound. She pounded them finely against a stone, then smeared the herbal medicine over the wound on Jerome's body.
Jerome winced slightly. Apparently, the wound he had sustained was fairly serious.
Once again, the man's gaze fell on the delicate features of Elys's beautiful face. He didn't know why, but ever since he had been wounded, it was as though he had become intoxicated by the woman's charm.
Don't, Jerome. This isn't the time to fall in love. Jerome thought. Then he shifted his gaze to another view.
"You can rest now. Don't move around too much until your wound has healed.
"Besides, what happened to hurt you, Jerome? Did someone attack you?"
"Weren't you the one who just told me to be quiet, Elys?" Jerome said.
The two fell silent, staring at each other before becoming lost in their own thoughts.