I awoke back in my house.
For a few moments, I just sat there in confusion.
How did I get here?
How long was I asleep?
Slowly climbing out of bed, I looked around the room, still struggling to process everything that had happened yesterday.
I took a few steps into the kitchen—
Then the memories came rushing back all at once.
I remembered being dragged away by that disgusting orc.
I remembered sitting helplessly inside that tent, waiting to be… violated by that thing.
And then—
She appeared.
Bursting into the tent with a strange black spear floating above her palm, she looked almost confused for a moment after seeing the orc, as though she had never seen one before in her life.
But that confusion disappeared instantly.
Before I could even react, she hurled the spear forward with terrifying speed.
One second it was in her hand—
The next, there was a massive hole through the orc's chest.
The creature looked down at itself in confusion before collapsing onto the floor dead.
I stared back up at the mysterious girl only to find her calmly studying the corpse, almost like she was trying to figure out what it was.
Finally managing to collect myself, I forced out the first thing that came to mind.
"T-Thank you for saving me…" I choked out shakily. "I don't even want to imagine what would've happened if you hadn't shown up…"
Instead of answering right away, she simply stared at me.
More specifically…
At my face.
My legs.
My body.
After what felt like an eternity, she finally stepped toward me and raised her hand.
"Blood Mend."
A brilliant crimson light burst from her palm and shot toward me.
I instinctively flinched and squeezed my eyes shut.
She wouldn't kill someone she just saved… right?
…Right?
A few seconds later, I cautiously opened my eyes again.
And froze.
Every bruise.
Every cut.
Every scrape from being dragged through the forest—
Gone.
Completely healed without a trace.
The very first thought that entered my mind was Mom.
Could this strange power help her too?
I needed to know.
"Who are you?" I asked, far more composed this time.
"My name is Lucy," she replied calmly. "I happened to pass by and noticed what was happening here. I couldn't just ignore it."
As she spoke, she walked toward me and extended her hand to help me stand.
I hesitated briefly before taking it.
The moment she pulled me to my feet, I noticed her grip suddenly tighten around mine.
Looking up in surprise, I saw her crimson eyes glowing intensely.
Almost hypnotically.
Like they were trying to pull me in.
My eyes widened further as my gaze dropped to her mouth.
Fangs.
Sharp white fangs protruding slightly past her lips.
Did she have those before…?
Before I could say anything, she suddenly yanked me against her body.
One arm wrapped tightly around my waist while the other moved behind my neck.
Panic surged through me.
I opened my mouth to speak—
Then she tilted my head aside and bit into my neck.
"Ah—!"
A moan escaped my lips before I could stop it.
The moment I felt her drinking my blood, a powerful sensation shot through my entire body.
Pleasure.
Pure, overwhelming pleasure.
It flooded through every nerve like lightning.
Without even realizing it, I threw my arms around her and clung tightly to her body.
"Ahh… mmm—!"
More helpless moans spilled from my lips the longer she fed from me.
The sensation only intensified.
My body trembled uncontrollably as wave after wave of pleasure washed over me.
I couldn't think.
Couldn't focus.
I didn't want it to stop.
Somewhere along the way, my hips had started unconsciously grinding against hers.
Then suddenly—
She pulled away.
The loss of warmth and sensation left me dizzy.
My entire face burned with embarrassment while my breathing came out ragged and uneven.
"T-That wa—"
That was all I managed to say before everything went black.
Back in the present, I crouched down and buried my burning face in my hands.
"…Was I always this much of a degenerate?" I groaned.
Violently shaking my head, I forced myself back to my feet.
Regardless of that part of what happened, one thing was certain:
Lucy's healing magic was real.
And if that magic could heal Mom—
Then I had to find her.
Without wasting another second, I rushed outside and headed straight for the home of the guard usually stationed at the village gate during the night shift.
I practically slammed my fist against his door.
Normally I would've been more polite, but I didn't have time for that right now.
After a minute, the door finally creaked open.
The guard stood there half asleep with messy hair and wrinkled sleep clothes.
"Oh, Syllia," he yawned. "Glad to see you awake and looking better, but what're you doing pounding on my door this early?"
"Was there a blonde girl with me when I got back last night?" I asked immediately.
"Ah, yeah," he replied while rubbing his eyes. "She brought you back herself, actually. Pretty impressive considering how tiny she is."
So it really happened…
"She's staying at the guest house right now."
Perfect.
That was close enough that I could catch her before she left.
"Thank you!" I shouted before already taking off running.
A few minutes later, I arrived in front of the guest house.
As I stared at the door, hesitation suddenly hit me.
I had no idea what I was even supposed to say to her.
Still…
There was no point overthinking it now.
Just as I reached toward the handle, the door suddenly swung open.
And there she was.
Those same beautiful crimson eyes widened slightly in surprise as they met mine.
"…Fuck," I heard her mumble under her breath.
…Okay then.
Clearly she hadn't expected—or wanted—to see me.
Trying not to overthink it, I looked straight at her and asked,
"Can I come in?"
"A-Ah… yeah. Sure."
To my surprise, she sounded nervous.
Stepping aside awkwardly, she let me enter before quietly shutting the door behind us.
The silence between us was painfully awkward.
Finally deciding someone needed to speak first, I broke it myself.
"There's a lot I want to ask you," I admitted. "Like how you defeated that orc so easily… or how you healed me…"
Heat immediately rushed to my cheeks as my fingers brushed against my neck.
"…Or what exactly you did to me."
Her face instantly turned red as well.
"But none of that matters right now," I continued quickly. "What I really want to know is…"
I looked her directly in the eyes.
"Can the magic you used on me heal diseases too?"
She stared at me silently for several moments, looking almost like she was trying to figure out the answer herself.
"…Yes," she finally answered carefully. "It's possible. But depending on how severe the illness is, it might take a lot out of me."
Then her voice grew quieter.
"And if it's really serious…"
She trailed off awkwardly.
I frowned slightly.
"If it's serious then what?"
The moment I asked, her face somehow grew even redder.
Avoiding eye contact, she muttered almost under her breath,
"…What happened between us yesterday might happen again."
I blinked.
Then immediately understood what she meant.
My entire face burst into flames.
"T-That's fine!" I blurted out far too quickly. "If you can help her… I-I can deal with it."
Despite my embarrassment, I could already feel a small smile trying to form.
For some reason…
The thought didn't bother me nearly as much as it probably should have.
"I'm guessing you want to do this now?" Lucy asked softly.
I nodded immediately.
Without another word, I grabbed her hand and dragged her out into the street.
Before long, we arrived outside my home.
The moment we stepped inside, reality suddenly hit me again.
Everyone in the village knew Mom was sick.
But very few people knew just how bad things had truly become.
Turning around, I noticed Lucy quietly observing the countless herbs and medicines scattered throughout the room.
"It's my mom…" I began softly. "She's been sick for months. I've tried every medicine in the village. I even bought remedies from traveling merchants…"
My voice started trembling.
"I finally found the herb I needed yesterday… but that orc captured me before I could bring it home."
As the words left my mouth, all the emotions I had been bottling up for months came crashing to the surface.
My vision blurred with tears.
"S-She's all I have left…" I whispered weakly. "I-I can't lose her too…"
I'm not sure whether Lucy saw the tears forming or simply heard the desperation in my voice, but before I realized it, she suddenly pulled me into a tight embrace.
I froze in shock.
I hadn't expected comfort.
Especially not from someone I had only just met.
But there was something strangely warm about her presence.
Comforting.
Inviting.
Like simply being near her made me feel safe.
Without another thought, I wrapped my arms tightly around her and completely broke down.
Sobbing uncontrollably into her chest while she gently held me close.
Eventually, after several long minutes, I finally managed to calm myself enough to pull away.
Quickly fixing my hair and wiping my eyes, I looked away embarrassed.
"Sorry…" I mumbled softly. "It's been a long time since I talked to anyone about this."
Then, taking a shaky breath, I turned and began walking toward my mother's room.