She started smiling louder and louder, unable to control herself.
She looked at Rin and said, smiling,
"Let me make you a deal. If you let me go, I'll help you escape this place... and even show you where to find water and food."
Rin thought for a moment. It's a good deal.
"Okay."
Rin reached for the prison lock. What she thought was an impossible seal broke open in seconds.
She blinked, then smiled awkwardly.
"That's... fast."
Before she could say anything else, Rin lost his balance and collapsed from exhaustion.
She quickly caught him.
"What are you doing...?" Rin muttered weakly.
"Just sleep," she said softly. "I'll take care of the rest."
Rin woke up later.
His body felt light... completely healed.
He looked down—he was shirtless.
His eyes snapped toward her.
"What did you do to me?"
"I did nothing!" she snapped. "I just healed you."
Rin narrowed his eyes.
"You're a healer?"
"No."
She paused, then explained,
"I'm a Hunter. My sword has a special ability—it converts kills into healing energy."
She looked at him calmly.
"I killed a few monsters... to heal you."
Rin relaxed slightly.
"Thanks. I thought you were going to eat me or something."
She raised an eyebrow, then smiled faintly.
"Why would I do that?"
Rin gave a weak smile.
"Just a thought."
She sat down near the small fire.
"Why don't we rest a bit... and learn about each other?"
Rin hesitated for a second... then nodded.
They sat beside the fire as she cooked the meat she had hunted.
The flames flickered between them, casting soft shadows.
Rin spoke first.
"My name is Rin."
She looked at him, the firelight reflecting in her eyes.
She smiled.
"I am... Tara."
Rin paused, slightly surprised.
Tara suddenly leaned forward, eyes shining.
"You know about me, huh? Am I famous? A legend or something?"
Rin blinked.
"Nah. I don't know who you are."
Her expression dropped instantly.
"Then why were you surprised?"
Rin shrugged.
"Your name sounds... modern. Not what I expected from an old woman."
Tara froze.
"...Old woman?"
Her face twitched.
"Don't call me that. Call me by my name... or call me sister."
Rin smirked.
"Sister? You look like you're a thousand years older than me. I should be calling you great-great-grandmother."
"HEY!" she snapped. "I am NOT thousands of years old! Don't just assume things—and definitely don't call me grandmother!"
Rin chuckled.
"Alright, alright... sister."
She sighed, calming down.
"Good."
After a moment, she looked at him again.
"So... how did you end up here?"
Rin's expression turned serious.
He explained everything—the leader, the followers of the Void, how the city was being controlled... and how he was thrown into that place after discovering the truth.
Tara listened quietly.
When he finished, her eyes widened slightly.
"So... he lost."
Rin frowned.
"Who lost?"
Tara quickly smiled, waving it off.
"No one. Forget that... continue."
But for a split second—
her expression wasn't playful anymore.
It was... knowing.
She looked at him seriously.
"How are you even alive? There's no way you survived that fall."
Rin's face darkened, a shadow of sadness crossing it.
"I barely did... I was almost dead."
He paused.
"Before I died, a woman found me... and took me with her."
Tara leaned forward quickly.
"So she saved you?"
Rin gave a faint, bitter smile.
"Not exactly."
He stared into the fire.
"She was a cannibal. She kept me alive... so she could eat me later."
Tara's expression stiffened.
"She had telekinesis. I couldn't fight her directly... I couldn't even think freely."
Rin clenched his fist slightly.
"So I did the only thing I could. I suppressed my thoughts... trained my mind to stay completely blank."
He exhaled slowly.
"It took me three days."
Tara's eyes widened.
"You controlled your mind like that... in just three days?"
Rin looked at her, confused.
"That's what surprises you? Not... what I did?"
She tilted her head.
"What do you mean?"
Rin looked away.
"I killed her."
There was a brief silence.
Tara didn't react the way he expected.
Instead, she looked at him calmly.
"No. Why would I judge you?"
Rin frowned.
"Why... not?"
She smiled softly, but her eyes were serious.
"Rin... this world isn't that simple."
She glanced at the fire.
"Life and death... they keep each other in balance. Out here, there's no clear right or wrong."
Her gaze returned to him.
"It all depends on what you choose... and why you choose it."
For some reason, Rin felt the weight in his chest... fade.
The burden he had been carrying quietly disappeared.
He looked at her—and smiled.
"Now it's your turn."
Tara smiled back.
"Alright."
She stared into the fire for a moment before speaking.
"During the war... I was a commander. Loyal to my kingdom—completely."
Her voice stayed calm, but there was something heavy beneath it.
"But loyalty doesn't always mean anything."
She let out a quiet breath.
"My own kingdom betrayed me."
Rin's expression shifted slightly.
"They abandoned me... and left me to die."
A small pause.
"So I survived."
She looked at him again, a faint smile returning.
"And now... I'm here."
Rin blinked.
That was it.
Short. Too short.
He tilted his head slightly.
"That's it?"
Tara smirked a little.
"What? Were you expecting a long tragic story?"
Rin shrugged.
"From the way you said it... yeah."
She chuckled softly.
"Maybe one day I'll tell you the full story."
Her eyes flickered with something unreadable.
"But not tonight."