episode_0286

A torrential downpour lashed down. The rain was so fierce it cut through the thick leaves, slapping Eve’s cheeks.

“This is…”

Eve sat up. The surrounding area was too dark to see anything. She realized this was a forest, thanks to the feel of the grass and the smell of earth.

“…!!”

Immediately, she thought of the man. Thankfully, he was lying not far from her. She checked his vital signs and examined him for injuries.

‘He’s… only unconscious.’

Following her memory, she recalled the situation just before arriving here. They’d found a stele deep within the labyrinth, and it had suddenly activated, casting some kind of magic.

Eve realized it was an ancient transference spell. Nothing else could explain their instantaneous movement from the depths of the earth to this forest above ground.

She checked the man’s body again. Why was he unconscious when she was fine? He was stronger than her, both physically and mentally.

‘He protected me… somehow.’

She clasped his hand tightly. Whatever had happened, the situation remained unchanged: the low temperature, the harsh forest, and the pouring rain.

Monstrous creatures could appear at any moment. Their body temperatures were dropping, and they were quite exhausted from clearing the labyrinth dungeon just moments earlier.

In short, the worst-case scenario.

“I… I’ll protect you.”

Using the mana breathing technique the man had taught her, Eve hoisted the unconscious man onto her shoulder. She discarded everything except for essential items. As she’d learned at the start of her adventures, greed is dangerous.

Crack-

She pushed through the undergrowth. The first priority was shelter from the rain. The unconscious man’s body temperature was rapidly dropping; he needed warmth immediately.

‘I need to… warm him up.’

Magic is a weapon to kill enemies. That’s what Eve had always believed. Her magical talent first bloomed when she slaughtered a band of thieves.

However, her adventures with the man had completely overturned her existing worldview. Eve had only ever seen the carnage of the past; her magic, consequently, was sharp and barbed.

But if she looked towards a future of happiness, magic could achieve anything.

‘I have to feel… the mana in the finest details of the air.’

She looked. Nothing begins without direct observation. Eve’s eyes, filled with mana, viewed the world from a slightly different perspective.

The magic to create hot flames. The magic to conjure a cold wind. She dissected both spells down to their incantations, omitting overlapping parts and weaving them together into a single, extended spell.

[Hit].

A warm breeze enveloped Eve and the man, protecting them from the cold.

‘I… succeeded.’

A spell that combined different mana attributes for a complex effect – multi-casting. She hadn’t properly learned it, but her instincts guided her.

Seeing herself constantly grow alongside the man, a warmth spread through Eve’s heart. It was strange. The [Hit] spell couldn’t possibly warm her heart as well.

She felt his body temperature returning, but he remained unconscious. Eve continued to push through the rain.

Rustle-

“…!”

Reaching a new level of magical proficiency had heightened Eve’s senses considerably. As a result, she could hear other footsteps in the distance.

‘It’s not… human!’

She sensed no human mana signature. There was only one possibility: a monster.

She didn’t use [Fire] magic because of the risk of being spotted due to the light. Yet, the fact that they had found her and the man meant that they must have tracked their mana traces.

‘If I stop the magic, his body temperature will drop again…’

However, it was better than being attacked by monsters. Eve quickly withdrew her mana and quickened her pace. Once the magic stopped, the monsters would almost certainly leave.

However, there was no way only one or two types of monsters existed in such a vast forest. She felt the presence of another monster just a short distance away. She had no choice but to keep changing her direction.

Eve was exhausted too. She’d walked so much she’d lost her sense of direction; she might even be walking in circles.

After hours battling the rain, she saw a deep shadow next to a sheer cliff.

‘…A cave.’

It was heavenly luck. To find a suitable shelter in such a harsh environment. It was almost suspicious, but she was in no position to be picky.

She laid the man down in the deepest part of the cave and sealed the entrance, camouflaging the exterior with plants and rocks before layering multiple magical barriers over it.

The cave was quite damp, but far better than outside. She built a small fire outside and began removing her wet clothes, layer by layer.

“…….”

Eve’s hand froze. Even though he was unconscious, she was self-conscious and felt embarrassed. But she couldn’t stay in her wet clothes forever.

She removed the man’s shirt. His damp flesh and firm muscles were revealed. Eve’s face grew hot, but she maintained her composure and undressed him completely.

“…!”

She snapped her head up sharply. Next was her turn. She removed her leather armor and loosened her shirt and skirt. The warm air of the cave felt comfortable against her skin.

Simultaneously, shame washed over her. This wasn’t a body she planned to show anyone. On adventures, however, seeing each other’s bodies was inevitable.

She was about to remove the last piece of clothing covering her private parts, but changed her mind, using the [Hit] spell she’d developed earlier to dry her underwear.

After removing most of the moisture from her body, Eve checked on the man: his temperature, the flow of mana.

As she leaned towards him, his eyes snapped open.

Their gazes met.

“Where… are we?”

“…….”

The man began to assess the situation. He looked around, confirming the safety of the cave and checking the barriers.

Next, he checked his own condition. Luckily, his clothes were off, so he examined himself for injuries.

Only then did he notice Eve’s expression. Her face was flushed, far more than could be explained by the fire. Her eyes were narrowed, and she was frozen in place, speechless.

Eve turned her head sharply, shielding her body.

“Y-you… took care of me?”

“…Yes.”

“Thank you, Eve. I owe you my life.”

“…….”

The man decided to leave Eve alone for a moment. Their relationship had grown close, but they hadn’t crossed the line. Even Eve, who had come of age last spring, would feel embarrassed.

However, Eve’s breathing was slightly erratic. She gasped for air, her shoulders heaving.

He quickly grabbed her, checking her face. Her eyes were unfocused. Her skin was burning hot to the touch.

“Eve…!”

“S-sorry…”

Eve fainted in his arms, exhausted.

. . .

The scene skipped ahead considerably. Eve’s consciousness had been lost, so that period remained a blank.

Eve surveyed her surroundings. It wasn’t the cave. The sky was fairly dark, but the rain seemed to have stopped some time ago.

She was being moved, but her body was still. She was on the man’s back.

“You’re awake?”

“Yes… How long was I out…?”

“Not long. Don’t worry.”

“But…”

The man chuckled. His hand pointed towards something. A familiar sight appeared between the trees.

“See?”

“This is…”

“That’s right. The outskirts of the Bewitching Forest. We often came here hunting.”

Eve was slightly surprised. How far had the transference spell moved them? The labyrinth was near the border, at the northwestern edge of the Tarun mountain range in Napfranz. This place was to the east of the kingdom.

Everything was incomprehensible. The environment and the events were all jumbled up.

“I don’t know exactly what happened… But the important thing is what comes next. We need to get back to the capital as quickly as possible.”

Eve understood when she heard the man’s words. Getting to the nearest village from this forest would take at least three days.

That village bordered the capital territory, so once they reached it, they’d be safe, though getting there was challenging.

She couldn’t be a burden. She put her hands on his shoulders, trying to stand.

“I’ll… help—”

But her arms went limp, and she collapsed onto his back. Eve’s body wasn’t normal.

“Eve, you pushed yourself too hard. Your forehead was burning up, I really thought you were going to die. Please, just stay still.”

“…Yes.”

Eve rested her cheek against the man’s back and fell into quiet thought. She wasn’t a burden. They both simply helped each other; Eve had cared for him, and he was caring for her in turn.

A smile crept onto her lips.

They moved in silence until they found a suitable spot and sat down. Although it wasn’t raining, the Bewitching Forest became extremely cold at night; moving after nightfall was suicidal.

They built another fire and huddled in front of it. Without a word, they embraced each other tightly.

The scene wasn’t unfamiliar. This was strange. Even though it was my own memories, recalling them took time, so other scenes felt unfamiliar.

But this moment — this image of Eve and I from my past life, sitting by a fire drinking soup — was overwhelmingly vivid.

“Cold?”

“Yes… But, you’re warm…”

I vaguely remembered. This is surely a dream from my current life. I have dreamt this many times; a mirage-like dream where I can’t fully remember who I’m with.

Suddenly, I shifted to the man’s point of view. Eve was nestled against me, and I had my arms around her shoulders.

This happened often. I was clearly experiencing Eve’s memories, yet there were moments where Eve herself was clearly visible.

“You know… you.”

“Yes.”

“…Kiss me.”

These were moments of intense resonance between us, our emotions overlapping, seeing and thinking the same things. That’s why our memories blend.

That’s why, even though I lost all my memories with Eve, these particular moments remained with me as dreams.

Eve and I survived the night, fending off the monsters. We limped towards the nearest village, sought help from a priest, rented a room, and spent the night there.

Why… Why did I forget something so important? That day was a pivotal moment when we confessed our feelings.

I went to Eve’s room in the morning, and a small incident occurred. I soothed her sulky demeanor, then we walked the town, watched people living their lives, shared delicious ice cream, and finally…

“Are you… going to let her speak first…?”

“What is…?”

I reached out, shouting, “No! Don’t say it! If you say that… it will be our end.”

But my voice didn’t reach her. This is Eve’s memory, and my memory. Everything has passed already. Even God couldn’t alter a fate already sealed.

Wrapped in the warm evening breeze, cheeks flushed… Eve softly confessed.

“I lo—”

Before that confession was complete, numerous soldiers emerged from the shade of the trees.

Soldiers in black armor and black cloaks… Darius’s soldiers.

Eve’s final tragedy was beginning.