I closed the door with my foot and gently laid the unconscious man on the old wooden bed. My arms felt like they would fall off any moment.
Liora still stood against the wall, staring at him like he might suddenly jump up.
"Don't worry," I said softly, trying to steady my own breathing. "He's unconscious. He can't wake up right now."
She peeked through her fingers. "R-Really…?"
"Really."
I moved toward the small shelf where we kept our herbs. The familiar scent calmed me a little — dry leaves, roots, and crushed petals we had gathered over weeks.
Liora slowly lowered her hands. "Kael… how can you save him? We… we don't even have money to buy proper medicine…"
Her voice grew smaller with every word.
I forced a small smile. "Don't worry. I gathered a lot of herbs today. Enough to make several healing pills."
Her eyes widened slightly. "Healing… pills?"
"Low-level ones," I admitted. "They won't cure everything… but they'll stop the bleeding and help him recover. Tomorrow I'll go to the market and sell the rest."
She hesitated. "Sell… them?"
I nodded. "Yes. If we earn enough, we can hire a real alchemist. Someone skilled. They can make higher-grade medicine and treat him properly."
Liora looked at the man again, then back at me. Fear still lingered in her eyes, but something else appeared too — trust.
"…You always find a way," she whispered.
I turned away quickly so she wouldn't see the worry on my face.
I didn't know if I would find a way this time.
Still, I knelt beside the small table and began crushing the herbs with a stone grinder. The rhythmic sound filled the quiet house.
Crush. Mix. Grind.
The faint green powder slowly formed under my hands.
Liora crept closer, step by step, until she stood beside me. "Kael… will he… be dangerous when he wakes up?"
I paused for a moment.
"I don't know," I answered honestly. "But we couldn't just leave him there. If we help him… maybe he'll help us someday."
She watched me roll the powder into small round pills.
"…You're really kind," she murmured.
I laughed quietly. "No. I'm just stubborn."
After finishing the first batch, I carefully opened the man's mouth and placed one pill inside, pouring a little water so he could swallow.
For a second, nothing happened.
Then his breathing became slightly steadier.
Liora gasped softly. "It… it worked?"
"Only a little," I said. "But it's enough for tonight."
I stood up slowly, my back aching.
"Let's rest," I told her. "Tomorrow will be a long day. I'll sell the pills in the market… earn some coins… and find an alchemist willing to help."
She nodded, still glancing at the stranger nervously.
Before blowing out the lamp, I looked once more at the unconscious man.
Who are you…?
and I slept.