"Leo."
The name lingered in the air for a moment.
Simple.
Short.
Yet it felt… oddly fitting.
The man repeated it under his breath, as if committing it to memory.
"…Leo."
A faint smile touched his lips before fading just as quickly.
The forest grew quiet again.
The earlier tension had settled, but something heavier remained beneath the surface—something unspoken.
Leo didn't say anything more.
He leaned back slightly, his body still aching from earlier. The dull throb in his head hadn't gone away, but he ignored it. Pain was familiar. Manageable.
What mattered more—
was the man in front of him.
He studied him again.
More carefully this time.
The wounds.
The clothes.
The way he carried himself—even while barely conscious.
This wasn't a normal person.
Not a villager.
Not a traveler.
"…You're not from here," Leo said suddenly.
The man let out a faint breath, almost like a laugh.
"Is it that obvious?"
Leo didn't answer immediately.
His eyes had already moved to the man's arm.
There—
partially hidden beneath torn fabric—
was a mark.
A symbol.
Faint.
But distinct.
Leo frowned slightly.
He didn't recognize it.
But something about it felt… wrong.
The man noticed his gaze.
For a brief second—
his expression changed.
Sharp.
Alert.
Then it softened again.
Too quickly.
"…Just an old mark," he said, pulling his sleeve slightly as if to hide it.
"Nothing important."
Leo didn't respond.
But he didn't look away either.
Silence stretched between them.
After a moment, the man shifted, wincing as he tried to adjust his position.
"You're quite observant for a kid," he muttered.
Leo's expression didn't change.
"I watch," he said simply.
The man chuckled weakly.
"Clearly."
Another pause.
Longer this time.
Then—
"Why did you really come back?"
The question hung in the air.
Heavy.
Direct.
Leo didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he picked up a small twig from the ground and began idly tracing lines in the dirt.
Slow.
Absent-minded.
"…You're useful," he said finally.
The man blinked.
"…Useful?"
Leo nodded slightly.
"If you die, you're nothing."
A small pause.
"If you live… maybe you're something."
The bluntness of the words hung between them.
Then—
the man laughed.
Not loudly.
Not mockingly.
Just… genuinely.
"You're honest to a fault," he said, shaking his head slightly.
"Or maybe just ruthless."
Leo didn't correct him.
The wind shifted.
Carrying with it a faint sound.
Distant.
Subtle.
Both of them heard it.
Leo's hand stopped moving.
His eyes lifted.
Sharp.
Focused.
The man's expression changed as well.
The fatigue in his eyes was still there—
but something deeper surfaced beneath it.
Instinct.
"…They're still searching," the man murmured.
Leo stood up slowly.
His body protested, but he ignored it.
His gaze fixed toward the direction of the sound.
Footsteps.
Faint.
But real.
"They didn't go far," Leo said quietly.
The man cursed under his breath.
"…Persistent bastards."
Leo looked down at him.
"You can move?"
The man gave a weak smile.
"Not well."
Leo clicked his tongue softly.
Then looked around.
Thinking.
Fast.
The forest suddenly felt smaller.
Less safe.
The sound of footsteps grew slightly clearer.
Not close—
but not far enough.
Leo's eyes moved again.
Scanning.
Calculating.
Then—
they stopped.
Something.
Half-hidden behind thick roots and fallen leaves.
A hollow.
Small.
But deep enough.
Leo stepped toward it, brushing aside some of the leaves with his foot.
It opened into a narrow space beneath the tree's roots.
Dark.
Hidden.
He turned back.
"…Get in."
The man stared at him.
"…You're serious?"
Leo didn't reply.
The footsteps grew louder.
The man exhaled slowly.
"…You really don't hesitate, do you?"
Leo's expression remained unchanged.
"No."
Another second passed.
Then—
the man forced himself up again.
Pain twisted across his face as he dragged himself toward the hollow.
Leo helped just enough to keep him from collapsing completely.
It took effort.
Time.
But finally—
the man slipped inside.
Hidden beneath the roots.
Leo quickly covered the opening with leaves and loose branches.
Carefully.
Naturally.
As if it had never been disturbed.
Then—
he stepped away.
A few seconds later—
voices.
Closer now.
Leo didn't run.
Didn't hide.
Instead—
he walked out of the forest.
Calm.
Steady.
As if nothing had ever happened.
Behind him—
the forest returned to silence once more.
And beneath the roots of an ancient tree—
something dangerous…
remained hidden.
........
Leo stepped out of the forest slowly, brushing past the low branches as if nothing unusual had happened.
The night air felt different outside.
Colder.
Sharper.
Or maybe it was just the lingering tension in his body.
He didn't rush.
Didn't look back.
That would draw attention.
Instead, he walked toward his hut at a steady pace, his footsteps light against the dirt path.
Voices echoed faintly from the distance.
The guards.
Still searching.
Still restless.
Leo's eyes flickered toward the direction of the sound for just a brief moment.
Then away.
Persistent, he thought.
When he reached his hut, he didn't go inside immediately.
Instead, he paused at the entrance.
Listening.
Silence.
Only after a few seconds did he push the door open and step inside.
The dim interior greeted him.
The same small space.
The same wooden bed.
The same stillness.
But something felt… off.
His gaze shifted.
Slowly.
Toward the corner.
The small wooden carving.
The faceless figure.
His mother.
For a moment, he just stood there.
Looking at it.
Then his eyes lowered.
Not out of sadness.
Not out of longing.
Just… habit.
"…Not tonight," he muttered quietly.
He turned away.
Sat down on the edge of the bed.
His body finally relaxed slightly, the tension easing from his shoulders.
Then—
A thought crossed his mind.
The man.
Leo exhaled slowly.
Annoyance flickered across his face.
"…If he dies, this was pointless."
He reached into his pocket.
The coins he had taken earlier clinked softly.
He stared at them for a moment.
Then stood up again.
Without hesitation.
The forest felt darker the second time.
Quieter.
As if it had already swallowed what had happened earlier.
Leo moved faster this time, more familiar with the path.
Branches brushed against his arms as he pushed through, heading straight toward the large tree.
When he reached it—
He stopped.
Silence.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
For a split second—
He thought the man was gone.
Then—
A faint sound.
Breathing.
Weak.
Uneven.
Leo stepped closer and pushed aside the leaves covering the hollow.
The man was still there.
Barely.
His chest rose and fell slowly, his face pale, almost lifeless under the dim light filtering through the trees.
Leo stared at him.
"…Still alive."
A small pause.
"Good."
He crouched down and adjusted the covering slightly, making sure it was still hidden properly.
The man's eyes flickered open again.
Slower this time.
He looked at Leo.
Recognition faintly returning.
"…You came back again…" he murmured, voice barely above a whisper.
Leo didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he reached forward and lightly pressed his hand against the man's shoulder—
checking.
Warm.
Alive.
Leo pulled his hand back.
"…You're harder to kill than you look," he said flatly.
The man let out a faint, breathless laugh.
"…I'll take that as a compliment…"
Leo sat down nearby, not too close, but not far either.
Close enough to react if something happened.
Far enough to leave if needed.
His eyes scanned the forest once more.
Habit.
Instinct.
"…They're still searching," he said after a moment.
The man closed his eyes briefly.
"…Of course they are…"
Silence settled again.
Heavier this time.
Leo leaned back slightly against the tree roots, his gaze drifting upward toward the dark canopy above.
For the first time that night—
There was nothing immediate to do.
And yet—
Something felt like it had already begun.
Not in the village.
Not in the forest.
But somewhere deeper.
Something that wouldn't stop here.