Drake ran.
He sprinted through the forest without slowing down, following the scent of blood that lingered in the air.
The Silver Forest wasn't particularly far away. In fact, it couldn't even really be considered a separate location.
It was simply a small section of the forest where the trees grew white leaves, giving the entire area an almost ethereal appearance.
It had never been dangerous.
People often passed through it while taking a stroll, enjoying its peaceful scenery.
Which was exactly why the smell of blood was so unsettling.
Something was wrong.
Drake pushed through the trees.
Then he stopped.
Blood.
The white grass of the Silver Forest was stained crimson.
Four bodies lay scattered across the clearing, their corpses horribly mutilated.
Drake's expression hardened.
"What the hell happened here…?"
Then—
"Kyaaaah! Help! Somebody! Please, help!"
A scream came from deeper within the forest.
Drake immediately turned toward the sound.
He ran.
And what he saw made his eyes widen.
A brown-haired girl stood in the center of the clearing.
[Image Here]
She was surrounded.
Snakes.
Silver Snakes.
Dozens of them.
Their bodies covered the ground, twisting over one another until the entire clearing seemed to be moving.
The girl desperately backed away, her eyes filled with terror.
One of the snakes suddenly lunged.
"Watch out!"
Drake disappeared.
In the next instant, the snake's fangs snapped shut on empty air.
The girl found herself lifted from the ground.
Drake had grabbed her and carried her away from the swarm.
"Don't worry."
His voice was calm.
"You're safe now."
The girl's trembling finally stopped.
Her eyes fluttered.
Then her body went limp.
She had fainted.
Drake caught her securely in his arms.
[Ding!]
[Hidden Achievement Completed!]
[You saved a girl in danger!]
[+30 Charm!]
Drake just stared at the system's screen.
...
Back at Haruhiro's inn, the girl lay unconscious on one of the beds.
Shihoru sat beside her, carefully wrapping fresh bandages around her injuries.
After some time, the girl's eyelids slowly fluttered open.
She blinked several times, her vision gradually clearing.
The first thing she saw was a girl leaning over her, carefully tending to her wounds.
Shihoru noticed her waking.
"You're awake!"
She immediately stood up and called for the others.
Drake arrived first.
Haruhiro and the rest of the group followed closely behind him.
The girl looked around the room, confusion and fear returning to her expression.
"W-Where am… I?"
"Somewhere safe," Drake reassured her.
The girl stared at him for a moment.
Then her expression crumbled.
"My… my teammates…"
Her voice trembled.
"They… they…"
Tears began forming in the corners of her eyes.
"They're all…"
She couldn't finish the sentence.
Her hands clenched the blanket beneath her.
"It's all my fault…"
She lowered her head as tears began rolling down her cheeks.
"It's all because of me…"
Her voice grew increasingly desperate.
"It's all because of me—"
Drake gently placed a hand on her arm.
"I don't know what happened, but…"
He looked at her seriously.
"…it's not your fault."
"No!"
She suddenly shook her head.
"No! No, it is!"
Her breathing became uneven.
"I… I tried to take the Silver Snakes' eggs even though my team leader told me not to!"
She covered her face with trembling hands.
"It's my fault!"
Her voice broke.
"It's all my fault!"
Drake fell silent.
So that's why they were attacked by the Silver Snakes…
They don't attack without a reason…
Drake sighed quietly.
Then he turned toward the others.
"Guys, everybody out."
Haruhiro and the others exchanged glances before leaving the room.
Once everyone had stepped outside, Drake turned toward Shiraori.
"Take care of her and tell me when she gets better, alright?"
Shiraori nodded.
"Yes."
Drake gave the injured girl one last glance before stepping out of the room.
The door closed behind him.
For a moment, the hallway was completely silent.
...
The next day.
Shihoru approached Drake quietly.
"I think… she's a bit calmer now."
Drake looked at her for a moment before leaning forward and giving her a brief kiss on the lips.
"Thank you, Shihoru."
He then turned and entered the room.
Shihoru remained standing in the hallway, her cheeks turning bright red.
He's… kind of cool.
She had never seen Drake like this before.
So serious.
So quiet.
There was something different about him.
This had been Drake's first time seeing dead human bodies.
His first time witnessing the aftermath of something so brutal.
…
Inside the room, the girl sat silently on the bed.
Her eyes were empty.
She stared at nothing in particular, her expression hollow.
Drake walked over and sat beside her.
"My name is Drake."
He paused briefly.
"Drake Curtis."
The girl didn't respond.
Drake sighed softly.
"I know it's hard…"
He looked at her.
"Losing people who were basically your family… that must have been unbearable."
At his words, the girl's eyes, which had seemed to have run out of tears, suddenly became glassy again.
A tear rolled down her cheek.
Drake continued.
"I won't pretend to understand what you're going through…"
He lowered his gaze.
"Because I can't."
"If I were to lose someone that precious to me…"
He paused.
"I can't even imagine how I'd react."
The girl remained silent.
"But…"
Drake looked back at her.
"There was a reason you survived."
Her eyes widened slightly.
"I wasn't there, so I don't know exactly what happened."
Drake's voice remained calm.
"But I'm sure they fought for your life."
The girl's lips parted.
For a moment, it looked as though she wanted to say something.
But she quickly closed her mouth again.
Drake stood.
"You mustn't let their sacrifices go to waste."
He turned toward the door.
He had said what he wanted to say.
There was nothing more he could do for her right now.
His hand reached for the door handle.
Then—
"My name is…"
Drake stopped.
A weak voice came from behind him.
He turned his head.
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
"Sassa…"
To be continued...