Chapter 005: The First Time
Anindira's heartbeat raced wildly.
THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.
It pounded against her chest from within, making her entire body freeze stiff. Her gaze locked onto the young man's outstretched hand—close... far too close.
"Can I... trust him?" she wondered bitterly, filled with doubt. "Should I follow him?"
"Woman."
The young man's voice was flat, almost devoid of emotion.
"I can hear your heartbeat clearly. You're afraid... but I don't think you have any choice except to come with me now."
CRUNCH.
Dry leaves crackled beneath Anindira's feet as she instinctively stepped backward instead. Her caution refused to accept that hand, even as fear tightened its grip around her.
The young man frowned.
It was obvious that he didn't understand why she rejected him—or perhaps he did, but simply had no time to explain.
ROARRRRR!!!
The roar exploded from beyond the trees.
Brutal.
Deep.
Unnatural.
Anindira froze.
Another roar answered from a different direction, then another. The dark forest behind her seemed alive... and angry.
CRASH! DRAG! BOOM!
Heavy, earth-shaking sounds followed, as though something large—something enormous—was tearing its way through the trees. The ground beneath Anindira's feet trembled lightly at first, then more violently.
Her breath caught in her throat. Pure terror clogged her airway.
She wanted to scream.
Wanted to run.
Wanted to beg anyone for help.
But no sound came out.
Her chest tightened. Her thoughts shattered into chaos. Horrific images flashed through her mind.
And one thought struck harder than all the others...
If she took even one step backward, her life might end right there.
"That wasn't just one thing..." she muttered inwardly, her thoughts in disarray.
"There are all kinds of things behind me... I don't know what they are... But one thing is clear—this creature in front of me is human. At least... this one can be spoken to, even if I don't understand a single thing he's been saying."
For the first time since all this began, both her logic and instincts spoke in unison. They tried to calm the fear gnawing at her chest while also suppressing the dread she felt toward the unfamiliar young man before her.
Her body remained stiff. Her knees trembled.
But her mind forced itself—more accurately, begged itself—to choose anything that wasn't coming from the darkness of the forest behind her.
"He looks like a grim reaper to me..." Anindira swallowed hard, her face pale.
"But at least I can communicate with him. That's enough for now. Everything else... whatever. I'll deal with it later!"
Somehow, a sudden burst of strength flowed into her legs.
She forced herself to step forward.
With a quick yet hesitant motion, Anindira grabbed the man's hand—a strong, muscular hand that felt far warmer than the cold air surrounding them. She moved behind him as though seeking protection that might not even be safe.
"Sir..." Anindira called in a trembling voice. "Please..."
The plea was genuine—not an act, but the cry of someone overwhelmed by fear who had finally found the only thing left to cling to.
The young man flinched slightly when Anindira suddenly seized his hand—tight enough to nearly lose control of herself.
The reaction vanished quickly.
A few seconds later, he bent down, lowering himself to one knee in front of her.
He looked at Anindira's pale face, her large eyes trembling pitifully...
Like an abandoned kitten left by the roadside, waiting for someone—anyone—to save her.
One of his hands rose and gently stroked the hands that were still gripping his fingers.
The touch made her twitch slightly.
His palms were rough, as though shaped by a harsh life—almost like warm sandpaper.
Yet strangely, sincerity flowed from that roughness, easing some of the terror gripping Anindira's chest.
The young man then stood.
Without saying anything further, he took Anindira's hand and led her away from that place—from an area he clearly knew was far too dangerous to remain in.
"I think you've calmed down enough now..."
His voice sounded flatter than gentle, but no longer as harsh as before.
They continued walking hand in hand, Anindira trailing half a step behind yet following him nonetheless.
Anindira looked at him in confusion.
She could clearly hear him speaking, but she did not understand a single word.
A few meters later, the young man stopped.
He glanced back briefly—as though realizing that the girl had been staring at him since the beginning yet had never answered him.
His gaze was sharp, though for some reason he seemed to be deliberately avoiding direct eye contact with her.
"What is your name?" he asked.
"Which village are you from? I'll take you back there."
Anindira still couldn't understand his language.
But there was something about him—the way he kept turning his face away, the restraint in his tone, the firmness of his grip—that felt... honest.
She was still afraid of him.
Yet it was precisely because of that fear that she paid even closer attention to every one of his movements.
And one thing bothered her greatly:
He kept avoiding eye contact.
Every time Anindira tried to look at his face—or at least its outline through the mist—the young man would always look away.
"What's wrong with him?" Anindira thought.
"Why won't he look at me? Am I that frightening? Or... is he the one hiding something?"
Even though he wasn't looking at her, Anindira could clearly sense that he knew she was scrutinizing him.
The tension in the air subtly shifted.
As though both of them were wary of each other.
"I asked you a question," the young man said.
His voice remained flat, but a trace of impatience seeped through.
"Can you answer me? So we don't waste time."
Anindira continued staring at him with a confused expression.
The fear in her eyes had faded into something sharper now—watchful, investigative, observing every detail of the stranger's gestures.
"U-um... Sorry, sir... I... I don't understand what you're saying."
At last, Anindira gathered the courage to answer.
The young man visibly startled.
For the first time since they had met, his expression—even through the mist—seemed to change.
"What did you say?" he replied, raising an eyebrow.
Anindira tilted her head, openly displaying her confusion.
The young man stared at her longer this time. He still avoided direct eye contact, but he could no longer completely suppress the curiosity creeping onto his face.
"You..."
His voice lowered.
"Where are you from? I don't understand a single word you're saying."
He tilted his head as well, trying to glean a nonverbal answer from her.
"It's not just me... You don't understand what I'm saying either, do you?"
Anindira swallowed.
She didn't know whether the situation was improving or worsening, but at least they now realized the same thing.
"Sir... I don't know what you're saying," she said softly but clearly.
"But I'm guessing... you're just as confused as I am right now."
The mist around them slowly swirled, as if holding its breath.
For the first time since meeting him, Anindira's fear was no longer directed solely at the young man.
It was directed at the very real possibility that she truly was in a place that was not the world she knew.
The two stared at one another.
For the first time since they met, the young man did not look away.
Whether because of carelessness or because curiosity had finally overcome him, he lifted his head slightly.
And his eyes—beautiful yet sharp—met Anindira's keen black eyes that were carefully studying him.
At the same moment, Anindira froze as well.
The mist reflected the fading light of dusk, making the young man's eyes—Sapphire *Sapphire, glowing with crystalline clarity, far too beautiful for someone with such a wild appearance—seem as though light itself danced within them.
THUD.
The young man jolted.
His body stiffened like someone who had just stepped into a trap whose location he had always known.
"Damn it!!!" he shouted inwardly. "How stupid. I let my guard down!"
Meanwhile, Anindira pressed a hand against her chest.
Her breath caught.
Something strange—a sensation that was warm, piercing, yet not painful—seemed to sink directly into the deepest part of her being, as though something had connected to her without her understanding how.
Anindira had no idea what it was.
But the young man standing before her knew.
His expression changed dramatically, as though what had just happened was a fatal mistake that should never have occurred.
Seeing Anindira's reaction only convinced him further that the young girl before him...
Had felt it too.
"Woman," the young man said quietly but firmly.
His tone had sharpened—not into a threat, but a warning.
"Do you know what you've just done to me?"
He stared directly at Anindira.
This time, he did not look away.
Could not look away.
"I am a *Sapphire," he continued, his voice rough as he struggled to contain emotions only he understood.
"And I will not let you go after what happened between us."
Anindira didn't understand a single word.
Yet goosebumps rose across her skin—not from fear...
But because she realized something strange.
His tone was different.
More serious.
Heavier.
More... personal.
She didn't know what *Sapphire meant.
She didn't know what mistake she had made.
But her instincts told her that the young man wasn't threatening to hurt her.
Quite the opposite.
For some reason, that warning felt like something she... didn't mind.
The young man's nose twitched as he caught a scent.
"This is bad. I'd better carry you."
He gave her no time to respond.
No chance to grant permission.
With a movement so fast Anindira barely saw it, he bent down and lifted her small body as though she weighed no more than a bundle of leaves.
"Night will be here soon," he said flatly, though undeniable urgency filled his voice. "We need to move quickly."
"Ahh! S-Sir! What are you doing?!"
Anindira's voice rose in alarm.
Panic spread through her entire body.
Both hands instinctively grabbed his shoulders to keep herself from falling, though the contact only made her face burn hotter from embarrassment and shock.
She wasn't used to being touched.
Much less being carried away by a complete stranger she had only just met.
"Sir... please put me down!" Anindira cried, struggling in his arms, her body restless as she tried to free herself.
But the young man paid no attention at all.
His stride remained steady, long, and stable as he crossed massive roots and slippery terraced ground.
As though Anindira's weight meant absolutely nothing to him.
Behind it all, the young man could hear every one of her protests perfectly clearly.
It was just that...
He chose to ignore them.